# Robert S. Mulliken

_American physicist, chemist and botanical collector (1896 - 1986)_

Canonical: https://diginpl.com/people/robert-s-mulliken
Last updated: 2026-11-01

> Robert Sanderson Mulliken was an American physical chemist, primarily responsible for the early development of molecular orbital theory, i.e. the elaboration of the molecular orbital method of computing the structure of molecules. Mulliken received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1966 and the Priestley Medal in 1983.

## Quick facts

- **Born:** 7 June 1896 ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q233355#P569))
- **Place of birth:** Newburyport ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q233355#P19))
- **Died:** 31 October 1986 ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q233355#P570))
- **Place of death:** Arlington County ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q233355#P20))
- **Citizenship:** United States ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q233355#P27))
- **Occupation:** physicist; theoretical chemist; university teacher; chemist ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q233355#P106))
- **Education:** Harvard University; University of Chicago; Massachusetts Institute of Technology ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q233355#P69))
- **Awards:** Guggenheim Fellowship; Nobel Prize in Chemistry; Willard Gibbs Award; Fellow of the American Physical Society; Priestley Medal; Foreign Member of the Royal Society; Peter Debye Award in Physical Chemistry; Silliman Memorial Lectures ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q233355#P166))

## Questions

**When was Robert S. Mulliken born?**  
Robert S. Mulliken was born on 7 June 1896 in Newburyport.

**Where did Robert S. Mulliken study?**  
Robert S. Mulliken was educated at Harvard University, University of Chicago, Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

## Related

- [Jan Koum](https://diginpl.com/people/jan-koum)
- [Joe Gebbia](https://diginpl.com/people/joe-gebbia)
- [Luke Nosek](https://diginpl.com/people/luke-nosek)
- [Miriam Adelson](https://diginpl.com/people/miriam-adelson)
- [Adam Riess](https://diginpl.com/people/adam-riess)
- [Alan J. Heeger](https://diginpl.com/people/alan-j-heeger)
- [Alfred G. Gilman](https://diginpl.com/people/alfred-g-gilman)
- [Alfred Hershey](https://diginpl.com/people/alfred-hershey)
- [Allan MacLeod Cormack](https://diginpl.com/people/allan-macleod-cormack)
- [Andrea M. Ghez](https://diginpl.com/people/andrea-m-ghez)
- [Andrew Fire](https://diginpl.com/people/andrew-fire)
- [Andrew Schally](https://diginpl.com/people/andrew-schally)

## Sources

- [Wikipedia (English): Robert S. Mulliken](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_S._Mulliken) — [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)
- [Wikidata item Q233355](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q233355) — [CC0 1.0](https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/)
- [Image: Mulliken,Robert 1929 Chicago.jpg by GFHund (CC BY 3.0)](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mulliken,Robert_1929_Chicago.jpg)

## Licence and attribution

Text from the Wikipedia article Robert S. Mulliken, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. This page's text is shared under the same licence. Facts from Wikidata (CC0). Image: Mulliken,Robert 1929 Chicago.jpg — GFHund, CC BY 3.0.

## Cite this page

"Robert S. Mulliken". DigiNepal. Last updated 1 November 2026. https://diginpl.com/people/robert-s-mulliken. Retrieved 15 November 2026.