William F. Giauque is best known for his research in two areas, thermodynamic studies at very low temperatures and the isotopic composition of oxygen. In order to carry out the first of these investigations, Giauque found it necessary to develop a new technique of cooling gases to temperatures close to absolute zero, a method known as adiabatic demagnetization . By using this system, Giauque was able to obtain temperatures within a few thousandths of a degree from absolute zero. For his research, Giauque was awarded the 1949 Nobel Prize in chemistry. His findings led to improvements in the production of gasoline, steel, rubber, and glass. His discovery of the previously unknown oxygen isotopes 17 and 18 resulted in the recalibration of atomic weight scales.

William Francis Giauque was born in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada, on May 12, 1895. His mother, Isabella Jane (Duncan) Giauque, and his father, William Tecumseh Sherman Giauque, were United States...