Earl Freemont Worden Jr.

Earl Freemont Worden Jr.

Earl Freemont Worden Jr. died May 22. He was 88.

Worden was born in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, to Earl Freemont Worden and Nona Odiorne Worden. He attended Portsmouth High School and the University of New Hampshire, where he received a bachelor of science, cum laude, and a master of science in chemistry. He completed his studies at the University of California Berkeley in 1959 with a Ph.D. in physical chemistry and began working at Lawrence Livermore Lab as a member of the physical chemistry department. 

Worden was on the team that observed the spectra and found the first energy levels in the elements curium, berkelium, californium and einsteinium. In 1985, he received the Louis A. Strait award for outstanding accomplishments in the areas of molecular absorption spectroscopy, atomic emission spectroscopy and laser spectroscopy, at the Pacific Conference on Chemistry and Spectroscopy. He authored numerous publications, co-authored books on spectroscopy and was granted several patents. Earl was a member of the Society of the Sigma Xi, Phi Kappa Phi and Alpha Chi Sigma.

He is survived by his wife of 59 years, Marlys; his son Seth; sisters Joyce Richardson and Gayl Worden; and brother Dean Worden. 

Donations in his memory can be made to Save Mount Diablo, or a charity of your choice.