# James B. Sumner

_American chemist (1887-1955)_

Canonical: https://diginpl.com/people/james-b-sumner
Last updated: 2026-10-31

> James Batcheller Sumner was an American biochemist. He discovered that enzymes can be crystallized, for which he shared the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1946 with John Howard Northrop and Wendell Meredith Stanley. He was also the first to prove that enzymes are proteins.

## Quick facts

- **Born:** 19 November 1887 ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q106756#P569))
- **Place of birth:** Canton ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q106756#P19))
- **Died:** 12 August 1955 ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q106756#P570))
- **Place of death:** Buffalo ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q106756#P20))
- **Citizenship:** United States ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q106756#P27))
- **Occupation:** biochemist; virologist; chemist; university teacher ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q106756#P106))
- **Education:** Harvard Medical School; Stockholm University; Free University of Brussels; Roxbury Latin School ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q106756#P69))
- **Awards:** Guggenheim Fellowship; Nobel Prize in Chemistry; Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q106756#P166))

## Questions

**When was James B. Sumner born?**  
James B. Sumner was born on 19 November 1887 in Canton.

**Where did James B. Sumner study?**  
James B. Sumner was educated at Harvard Medical School, Stockholm University, Free University of Brussels, Roxbury Latin School.

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## Sources

- [Wikipedia (English): James B. Sumner](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_B._Sumner) — [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)
- [Wikidata item Q106756](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q106756) — [CC0 1.0](https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/)
- [Image: James Batcheller Sumner.jpg by Unknown author Unknown author (Public domain)](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:James_Batcheller_Sumner.jpg)

## Licence and attribution

Text from the Wikipedia article James B. Sumner, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. This page's text is shared under the same licence. Facts from Wikidata (CC0). Image: James Batcheller Sumner.jpg — Unknown author Unknown author, Public domain.

## Cite this page

"James B. Sumner". DigiNepal. Last updated 31 October 2026. https://diginpl.com/people/james-b-sumner. Retrieved 6 November 2026.