Dr. Robert C. Hockett, 1906-1994

Robert C. Hockett, Ph.D., 87 of Mountain Ridge Health Care Center, Franklin, N.H., died Monday, March 14, 1994 after a long illness. He was born in Fayette, Mo. On July 1, 1906, the son of Homer C. and Amy (Francisco) Hockett. He graduated from Ohio State University, also doing graduate study there and received a Ph.D. degree in chemistry in 1929. As a National Research Council Fellow in Chemistry, he was a guest scientist at the National Institutes of Health, U.S. Public Health Service from 1929-1931 and then Associate Chemist of the Institute staff from 1931-1935. Dr. Hockett joined the faculty of the Mass. Institute of Technology as Assistant Professor of Chemistry, becoming Associate Professor in 1941. In 1943-1952 he served as Scientific Director of the Sugar Research Foundation, Inc. He had also been Visiting Professor at the Universities of Illinois and North Carolina. From 1952-1954 he served as a consultant to industrial firms on problems relating to foods, nutrition, pharmaceuticals, fermentations and sponsored research. Dr. Hockett joined the present Council for Tobacco Research's predecessor organization-the Tobacco Industry Research Committee-as an Associate Scientific director. He was a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the New York Academy of Sciences, the American Public health Association, the Royal Society of Arts and the American Institute of Chemists. He held membership in the American Chemical Society, in which he had served as an Alternate Councilor, member of the Nomenclature Committee, vice-Chairman of the Division of Carbohydrate Chemistry in 1944, Chairman in 1945 and 1946 and Secretary-Treasurer from 1956-1960. Dr. Hockett also held membership in the American Society of Biological Chemists, American Association for the Advancement of Science, Friends of the World Health Organization, Royal Society of Health and the Phi Beta Kappa Associates. He had served as a Lecturer in Switzerland for the American-Swiss Foundation for Scientific Exchange, member of the Food Industries' Advisory Committee to the Nutrition Foundation, Inc., Collaborator to the US Dept of Agriculture, member of the Advisory Committee for Advances in Carbohydrate Chemistry, as Associate to the State Department's Committee for Interamerican Scientific Publication and member of the Sugar Advisory Committee to the Administrator of the Production and Marketing Act, US Dept. of Agriculture. He was the author of numerous research papers on chemistry of the carbohydrates of articles and lectures on nutrition and public health, of many reviews and summaries on tobacco and health research and contributor to a book BEET SUGAR ECONOMICS. He had lived in Manhattan from 1965-1987 and in 1987 he retired as the Scientific Director for the Council for Tobacco Research and moved to New London in that year. He had lived at the Mountain Ridge Health Care Center in Franklin since 1989. Dr. Hockett was a member of St. Andrew's Episcopal Church in New London and also a member of the choir. Members of his family surviving include a son, James D. Hockett of Huntington, L.I., N.Y.; a daughter, Jane C. Mills of New London; 3 grandchildren; brother, Charles F. Hockett of Ithaca, N.Y.; sister, Francesca Matuzak of Tulsa, Okla.; nieces, nephews and cousins. Member services will be held on Saturday, March 19, 1994 at 11:00 a.m. at St. Andrew's Episcopal Church, Gould Rd., New London with the Rev. Frederick Stecker IV, rector, officiating. Interment will be in Walnut Grove Cemetery, Worthington, Ohio. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to St. Andrew's Episcopal Church, P.O. Box 294, New London, N.H. 03257 or to Camp Incarnation, P.O. Box 577, Ivoryton, Ct. 06442-0577. Chadwick Funeral Service, New London, N.H. is in charge of arrangements.