# John B. Fenn

_American analytical chemist (1917–2010)_

Canonical: https://diginpl.com/people/john-b-fenn
Last updated: 2026-10-31

> John Bennett Fenn (June 15, 1917 – December 10, 2010) was an American analytical chemist who was awarded a share of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2002, sharing half of the award with Koichi Tanaka for their work in mass spectrometry (the other half went to Kurt Wüthrich). His contributions related to the development of electrospray ionization, now a commonly used technique for large molecules and routine liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Early in his career, he studied the field of jet propulsion at Project SQUID and focused on molecular beams. He finished his career with more than 100 publications, including one book.

## Quick facts

- **Born:** 15 June 1917 ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q106738#P569))
- **Place of birth:** New York City ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q106738#P19))
- **Died:** 10 December 2010 ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q106738#P570))
- **Place of death:** Richmond ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q106738#P20))
- **Citizenship:** United States ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q106738#P27))
- **Occupation:** chemist; university teacher ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q106738#P106))
- **Education:** Yale University; Berea College ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q106738#P69))
- **Awards:** Nobel Prize in Chemistry; Humboldt Research Fellowship; Wilbur Cross Medal; Humboldt Prize ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q106738#P166))

## About

Fenn was born in New York City, and moved to Kentucky with his family during the Great Depression. Fenn did his undergraduate work at Berea College, and received his PhD from Yale. He worked in industry at Monsanto and at private research labs before moving to academic posts including Yale and Virginia Commonwealth University.

Fenn's research into electrospray ionization found him at the center of a legal dispute with Yale University.  He lost the lawsuit, after it was determined that he misled the university about the potential usefulness of the technology.  Yale was awarded $500,000 in legal fees and $545,000 in damages.  The decision pleased the university, but provoked mixed responses from some people affiliated with the institution, who were disappointed with the treatment of a Nobel Prize winner with such a long history at the school.

## Questions

**When was John B. Fenn born?**  
John B. Fenn was born on 15 June 1917 in New York City.

**Where did John B. Fenn study?**  
John B. Fenn was educated at Yale University, Berea College.

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## Sources

- [Wikipedia (English): John B. Fenn](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_B._Fenn) — [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)
- [Wikidata item Q106738](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q106738) — [CC0 1.0](https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/)
- [Image: John B Fenn01.jpg (Public domain)](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:John_B_Fenn01.jpg)

## Licence and attribution

Text from the Wikipedia article John B. Fenn, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. This page's text is shared under the same licence. Facts from Wikidata (CC0). Image: John B Fenn01.jpg, Public domain.

## Cite this page

"John B. Fenn". DigiNepal. Last updated 31 October 2026. https://diginpl.com/people/john-b-fenn. Retrieved 6 November 2026.