Dr. William (Bill) James, professor emeritus of chemistry at Missouri University of Science and Technology, will receive an honorary doctorate during commencement ceremonies at S&T May 14-15. James will also address those receiving graduate degrees on May 14.

James joined the chemistry/chemical engineering department at then Missouri School of Mines and Metallurgy in 1953. He taught a wide variety of undergraduate courses, including general chemistry, and graduate classes in physical chemistry, chemical engineering thermodynamics and advanced mathematics for chemical engineers. He played a key role in the establishment of a Ph.D. program in chemical engineering and was the major advisor to the university’s first recipient of the Ph.D. in chemical engineering.

In 1961-62, James was awarded a Fulbright research professorship to study at the University of Grenoble and in the Laboratoire de Magnetisme in France under the direction of Professors E.F. Bertaut and L. N