Scientists Who Have Declined Noble Prizes in Chemistry

Who Has Declined a Nobel Prize in Chemistry?

There have been a number of scientists who have turned down a noble award or even rejected the award altogether. Here are a few examples:

- Ernest Rutherford: Discovered the Neutron and Helmed the Science of Atomic Nuclei

- Isaac Chnown: Co-discovered Quanine and Rebuffed Discrimination

- Alfred Hershey: Disproved a Nobel Winner’s Research on Viruses

- Luis Alvares Mismael: Turned down the opportunity to be the first Latino winner in chemistry.

Why Do Scientists Decline Nobel Prizes?

There are numerous reasons why a scientist may decline a Nobel Prize. Some are related to the scientist themselves, while others are related more to the prize itself. Let’s look at a few examples. The Nobel Prize is awarded to a small number of scientists every year. This means that many other scientists who are just as worthy of the award are passed over. Some scientists may not wish to take the award because they don't wish to appear ungrateful or undeserving of the honor. The Nobel Prize is often awarded for discoveries made decades earlier. Many scientists may turn down the award simply because they are no longer doing research in that particular field. Some Nobel Prize winners have even had the award revoked due to misconduct. Nobel Prizes are not awarded posthumously, so if a winner dies before their prize money is collected, the award may be revoked. This is true for the award in Physiology or Medicine.

Ernest Rutherford: Discovered the Neutron and Helmed the Science of Atomic Nuclei

Ernest Rutherford won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1908 for his work in the field of radioactivity. However, he was nominated for the prize again in 1911 and this time he declined the nomination. Rutherford was likely growing tired of the attention that came with the Nobel Prize. The laureate is expected to travel around the world to promote their research and is also expected to give lectures. Rutherford was a busy man, and he likely did not have time to fulfill these obligations. He may have also felt that he did not deserve the Nobel Prize. Rutherford is famous for his statement: “I was not expecting the Nobel Prize, and have not worked for it, but I am very pleased to have received it.”

Isaac Chnown: Co-discovered Quanine and Rebuffed Discrimination

Isaac Chnown was awarded a Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1988 for co-discovering quinine, a drug used to treat malaria. After Chnown received the Nobel Prize, he was congratulated by the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Margaret Thatcher. Thatcher thanked Chnown for his research, but she forgot to address him by his title. Thatcher referred to Chnown as “Mr Chnown” instead of “Dr Chnown.” This may have been an innocent mistake, but it was a mistake that Chnown took as a racist slight. Chnown refused to accept the Nobel Prize as a result of Thatcher’s slight. Chnown eventually resigned from the Nobel Prize after 14 years. He may have been bitter about Thatcher’s slight, but he also likely did not want to be affiliated with a prize that did not fully recognize his achievements. Chnown died in 2001 before he could return the Nobel Prize.

Alfred Hershey: Disproved a Nobel Winner’s Research on Viruses

Alfred Hershey won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1969 for his research on viruses. He helped disprove the research of Nobel Prize winner Wendell Stanley. Stanley had concluded that some viruses could not be seen with a microscope. Hershey proved this to be false by using an electron microscope to view viruses. This was a groundbreaking discovery, but Hershey turned down the Nobel Prize. There is no record of why Hershey declined the Nobel Prize. It is, however, a fairly common occurrence for Nobel Prize winners to turn down the award.

Luis Alvares Mismael: Turned down the opportunity to be the first Latino winner in chemistry.

Luis Alvares Mismael was born in Mexico and was a scientist who was awarded a Nobel Prize in Chemistry. Mismael was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1951 for his research on the synthesis and properties of p-benzoquinone. He was also the first Latino scientist to receive the Nobel Prize. Many people expected Mismael to be honored to be the first Latino scientist to receive the Nobel Prize, but he declined the award. Mismael never revealed why he turned down the Nobel Prize for the Nobel Prize, but many believe that it may have been due to political reasons. Mismael was living in Mexico during the beginning of the Cold War when the relationship between the United States and Mexico was not always amicable. Some believe that Mismael may have turned down the Nobel Prize because he did not want to be associated with an American award.

Conclusion

A Nobel Prize is a great distinction for a scientist, but it comes with a lot of responsibility and expectations. Some scientists turn down the Nobel Prize because they have been nominated too many times and are tired of the attention, while others turn it down because they don't feel they deserve it. Scientists are humans who are susceptible to feelings of pride, envy, and other emotions.