Ralph H. Bullard notebooks, ca. 1924

Ralph Hadley Bullard was born on December 6, 1895 in Worcester, MA. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree in 1917 and his Master of Science in 1918, both at Clark University in Worcester. Bullard came to Hobart and William Smith Colleges in 1919 as an Instructor in Chemistry after experience as a naval chemist during World War I. In 1925 he completed his PhD at Brown University and was later promoted to Assistant Professor and then Professor of Chemistry at HWS. He taught at Hobart and William Smith Colleges and chaired the chemistry department until his death in November, 1961.

Bullard is credited with discovering a new compound that when sprayed on clothing protects the skin from mustard gas, which causes severe burns and blisters. Dr. Bullard found this compound in January of 1939 after extensive research with Hobart students, who were often seen wearing gas masks in the chemical laboratories. At the time, the U.S. Army feared that patenting the compound would give away the process to any potential enemy, and thus declassification and a patent were withheld until 1961.

Prior to the second world war Dr. Bullard had spent his summers researching advanced organic problems for the Eastman Kodak Co. in Rochester, NY. During World War II Dr. Bullard served as technical aide to the director of the Naval Research Laboratory at Anacostia, D.C. He was granted leave from the Colleges from 1948 to 1950 to act as Director of Research at the Norwich Pharmaceutical Co. He won the Legion of Merit award for his work with the Navy, and in 1951 he was promoted to the permanent rank of Captain, USNR.

Phi Beta Kappa's Zeta Chapter of New York elected him an honorary member in 1926. He was also a member of the American Chemical Society and a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Dr. Bullard died unexpectedly on November 2, 1961 at the age of 65. He is buried in the National Cemetery at Arlington, VA.