Charles Guttman

GUTTMAN, Charles Martin, age 84, passed away on July 26, 2023, loving husband of E. Lee Guttman, beloved father of Hannah Guttman and Harry (Laura Wright) Guttman, cherished grandfather of Akiva Guttman, Fletcher Guttman, and Jordan Fomalont, uncle to Sondra, Mark, Nancy and David, and cousin to Sam, Debby and Dan.   

A Walnut Hills High School graduate (Cincinnati, OH), Charles received his Ph.D. in Chemistry from Brandeis University (1967) for his work on theoretical and computational studies of ion solvation.  At Brandeis, he was one of first Brandeis students who used MIT's new computers.  He joined the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST, formally known as NBS), where he developed theory and computation methods to study polymers.  He also helped establish the field of polymer physics, including polymer crystallization and molecular characterization of polymers.  His research was critical in advancing the theory of polymer crystallization and the development of computing models used by the US plastics industry to design mechanically robust polymers.  Later in his career at NIST, his breakthroughs in polymer separations science were instrumental in solving issues in experimental systematic errors, and enabled complete uncertainty analysis in several primary polymer characterization methods. This work was the basis of several reference materials used in industry today.

In 1986, he was elected a Fellow of the American Physical Society.  He is also a fellow of IUPAC.  In 1987, he won NIST's Bronze Medal for outstanding contributions to theoretical studies of fundamental problems in polymer science. And in 2007, he was part of a diverse scientific team that won a NIST Bronze Medal for the development of matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization–time-of-flight mass spectrometry for polymer standards, where he developed the theory and experimental method behind the world’s first and only polymer reference material certified for absolute molecular mass distribution.  At NIST, he mentored many scientists and created an atmosphere of collaboration and congeniality.  He was regarded by many as a beloved mentor, colleague, and friend.

At home, Charles was a consummate DIYer, finishing an unfinished basement into several rooms, building a fence and a porch, and planting and maintaining vegetable gardens.  He had many interests including classical music, opera, clocks, coin collecting, and poetry.  He loved spending time with his grandkids, teaching them chess, telling them squid jokes, and reading them poetry.  He also loved travelling with Lee; they had many wonderful trips to Williamsburg (Virginia), Maine, New Hampshire, England, France, and Switzerland. 

A Memorial Service will be held at a later date.  In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Doctors without Borders (doctorswithoutborders.org), Feed the Children (feedthechildren.org), Feeding America (feedingamerica.org), or a charity of one's choice.