F. Sherwood “Sherry” Rowland (1927-2012)

Frank Sherwood Rowland, known to his friends and colleagues as Sherry, died at his home in Corona del Mar, Calif., on 10 March 2012. He was 84. A Nobel Prize-winning atmospheric chemist, Sherry codiscovered the role of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) in stratospheric ozone depletion, researched the accumulation of greenhouse gases on a planetary scale, and tirelessly communicated the global consequences of human activity to policy makers and the public. Sherry had a calm, gentle demeanor and was as respected for his integrity and humility as for his groundbreaking scientific achievements. Sherry was a long-time member and Fellow (1980) of AGU and received the AGU Roger Revelle Medal in 1994 for his substantial contributions to the awareness of global change. The following year, he shared the Nobel Prize in Chemistry with Mario Molina and Paul Crutzen for their pioneering contributions to atmospheric chemistry, particularly the formation and decomposition of stratospheric ozone. In its citation, the Nobel Committee commended them for contributing to “our salvation from a global environmental problem that could have catastrophic consequences.”