Velmer Fassel, inventor and professor of chemistry, made lasting contributions to the field of chemistry and to the Iowa State chemistry department before his death on March 4.

Fassel, a retired distinguished professor of chemistry at ISU, died of cardiac arrest in his California home at the age of 71.

One of Fassel’s greatest contributions was the development of inductively coupled plasma spectroscopy (ICP), which converts a sample into atoms and atomic ions which are then identified by either optical spectroscopy or mass spectroscopy and are used in chemical analysis.

Sam Houk, professor of chemistry and a former student of Fassel’s, said ICP spectroscopy works more effectively and consistently than any other method for elemental analysis, and that it has become the standard technique.

“The work he did is used by many other kinds of scientists,” Houk said. “Every day at least two million determinations are done using ICP spectroscopy.”

During World War II, Fassel worked on the Manhattan Project to produce uranium metal as part of Project 1050. He continued working on the project in Ames, which eventually developed into the Ames Laboratory of the U.S. Department of Energy. Fassel was actively involved at the Ames Lab, and served as deputy director from 1969 to 1983.

“The work that he did within the Ames Lab was critical to the initial work with uranium for the Manhattan Project,” said Robert Hansen, a colleague of Fassel’s at both the Ames Lab and the university for almost 40 years.

“It would have been impossible without the use of his ICP,” he said.

Before leaving ISU, Fassel began a lecture program, the Fassel Lectures in Analytical Chemistry, which is held every fall at ISU. Houk said the program recruits top researchers in various fields of chemistry to give lectures, visit research groups and talk to students.

The first lecture program was held nearly 10 years ago, Houk said. Houk estimated Fassel donated nearly half the funding himself.

Houk said Fassel “provided an example of the combination of a scientist and a public servant.”

“He was always oriented toward solving some problem,” Houk said.

Fassel’s numerous achievements include the Fisher Award, the Chemical Instruction Award, the Spectrochemical Analysis Award, the Chemical Instrumentation Award, the Iowa Award from the American Chemical Society and the Governor’s Science Medal.

“He was an extremely productive scientist,” Hansen said.

Fassel was born April 26, 1919, in Frohna, MO. He graduated from Southeast Missouri State College with a B.A. in chemistry in 1941.

He also attended graduate school at ISU and received his Ph.D. in physical chemistry before being appointed to a faculty position in analytical chemistry in 1949. He was named distinguished professor in 1976 and retired in 1987.

Fassel is survived by his wife Mary.

A testimonial service will be held in Ames in May. Memorials will be used to support future Fassel lectures.