July 20, 1928 – November 26, 2016

MIT B.S. ‘52 & Indiana University PhD ‘57

United State Air Force Captain 1957-1961

Brunswick & Topsham ME, New Castle NH

Dana Walker Mayo, age 88 passed away peacefully on November 26, 2016 in the comforting embrace of his loving wife Odile Jeanne d’Arc Mayo.

Dana W. Mayo was best known for his ability to collaborate with others academically and personally. Reflective of this collaborative spirit was an academic teaching & research career spanning nearly five decades that included his work as a Fellow in the School for Advanced Study at MIT, National Institute of Health Fellow, and visiting research scientist in England at the Explosives Research and Development Establishment in Waltham Abbey. The prodigious portion of his teaching career was spent at Bowdoin College beginning in 1962 as an assistant professor of organic chemistry. In 1971 Dana was appointed to the Charles Weston Pickard Professor of Chemistry Chair. In 1991 he was appointed as the first Pickard Research Professor of Chemistry and achieved Emeritus status in 2007. Dana’s service to this world can be found in his devotion and mentorship to students and teaching, along with his unwavering support to Bowdoin College. Dana (aka Doc Mayo) was best known for his rigorous exams, for his tireless efforts to make sure his students left his classroom with a solid understanding of the material, exhausted all resources beyond the gates of Bowdoin, future career options in science were discussed or inspired, along with a liberal arts connectedness that would serve them well beyond his lecture hall.

Dana played a key role in the development of a number of research and educational programs during his tenure at Bowdoin. He initiated studies leading to the identification of source spilled oil in the marine environment. These studies ultimately enabled the State of Maine to recover significant damages from the Casco Bay Tamano oil spill. His pioneering work in this area continues to be carried on by colleagues at Bowdoin well into the twenty-first century.

In 1959 Dana became Co- Director of a unique MIT summer course on Infrared Spectroscopy (IR) founded by his MIT mentor and close friend Richard C. Lord. In his role as Bowdoin Chemistry Department Chair, Dana insightfully moved the IR course to Bowdoin College in 1972. This course, which continues today, is the longest continuously running program in this field. It has trained over three thousand scientists working in education, industry and government. Under his leadership the course was taught over two dozen times internationally including Sweden, Norway, England, Mexico and China.

The career milestone Dana was most proud of was his invention of Microscale Organic Laboratory practice. Conversion of conventional introductory organic laboratory instruction to microscale (reducing the size of laboratory experiments by factors of 100 to 1000) revolutionized organic chemistry laboratory instruction. The introduction of Microscale led the American Chemical Society (ASC) to state “the development and introduction of the Microscale Organic Laboratory has resulted in one of the most radical and rapid modifications of the initial [organic laboratory] instruction since the birth of these programs over 100 years ago.” Not only did this new instructional method change instructional practices, but also it resulted in significant reductions in laboratory hazardous waste by-products and laboratory expense as well as producing significant increases in student lab proficiency. Dr. Mayo and colleagues Ron Pike (close friend of nearly 70 years) and Samuel Butcher authored six editions of Microscale Organic Laboratory, a textbook and lab manual still used in teaching today.

Professor Mayo’s comprehensive efforts in undergraduate teaching, the Infrared Spectroscopy course and pioneering Microscale Organic Laboratory instruction not only made enormous contributions to the field of chemistry but also brought significant and far reaching recognition to the Bowdoin College Chemistry Department and led the ACS to award him the 1989 Catalyst Award, for Excellence in Teaching Chemistry. He was also the recipient of the 1986 Charles A. Dana Award for Pioneering Achievement in Higher Education. In 1987 he was awarded the Division Award for Outstanding Contributions to Chemical Health and Safety by the ACS and that same year he received the John A. Timm Award for the Furtherance of the Study of Chemistry by the New England Society of Chemistry Teachers. In 1988 the Northeast Section of the ACS selected him for the prestigious James Flack Norris Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Teaching of Chemistry to Undergraduates. Finally in 1990 he and colleague Samuel Butcher were the first faculty to receive the Bowdoin Prize, the College’s highest honor, awarded only every five years to either a graduate or faculty member having achieved national distinction.

Dana’s collaborative world was best personified in his loving relationship with Jeanne d’Arc, his wife and unparalleled partner in raising a family, academia, travel, reading, entertaining and their love of the Brunswick community. Their relationship began with rigorous hiking trips to the White Mountains where Dana proposed to Jeanne at the Summit of North Kinsman over a hot cup of tea. They quickly added their twin sons Dana Lawrence Mayo (Los Angeles, CA) and Chapman Scott Mayo (Saint Paul, MN) to their family journey. Big D, referred to lovingly by Jeanne d’Arc, fashioned a patent worthy tandem toddler backpack for his twin sons in order to bring his passion of nature and outdoors to his growing family. His sons inherited his integrity and kind spirit. Daughter, Dr. Sara Walker Mayo (Portland, ME) joined the family two and a half years later and would forever share her fathers’ love of the mountains, science and stars. Big D’s orange down jacket, sized appropriately for his 6’5” stature became Sara’s sleeping bag on family trips. He taught his family how to see the world through his scientific eyes and immense respect for nature. Hiking summits together was symbolic of the family work ethic, perseverance, ingenuity and passion for conservation. Dana’s steadfast determination led him to climb all forty-six peaks over 4,000 feet in New Hampshire. In later years he became a dedicated swimmer at the Bowdoin Athletic complex where he was often seen knocking on the door of Jeanne d’Arc’s physical therapy training room before or after swims.

Dana was his true self when elegantly including his suppositions regarding science and relationships in speeches at his children’s weddings to son in law Charles Allen Foehl IV and daughter in laws; Josephine Lohini Mayo & Charlene Guanco Mayo. His pride quickly extended to his seven grandchildren: Hugh Armstrong Mayo, Walker (his namesake) Mayo Foehl, Josephine Hazen Mayo, Mackenzie Lovell Mayo, Perry Odile Mayo and his second namesake Dexter Walker Mayo. All seven grandchildren quickly became Dana’s eager to learn and most inquisitive students. They especially enjoyed watching Red Sox & Patriots games with their Grandpa, not simply for Dana’s love of the game, but for the thought provoking and always humorous conversations that took place during commercial breaks.

Dana was born in Bethlehem, PA to Ethel Marie (Chapman) Mayo and Dana H.N. Mayo. He developed a great respect for the ocean and love of sailing while spending majority of his summers at his beloved childhood beach community of New Castle, New Hampshire. It is here where he forged a lifelong friendship with Henry Horner (2000). His love of ocean tides surrounding New Castle and coastal Maine surely played a role in his pioneering work in the identification of marine oil spill sources. He remained best friends on the level of brotherhood with Bowdoin colleague and academic successor David Page and his wife Barbara. Dana’s later years were challenging but helped by continued friendships with many colleagues and friends, especially Al Fuchs, Wells Johnson and Ron Christensen’s continuation of their “weekly lunch meetings” as well as medical team Dr. Sandy Schmidt, Dr. Sarah Davis and Dr. Sara Mayo and the special contributions of his caregivers Stephanie, Christina, Leslie, and Donna. Dana’s inspiration, commitment and legacy live on through his family, students and scientific contributions.

To read the Bowdoin College tribute to Dana W. Mayo go to: https://blogs.bowdoin.edu/president/2016/11/29/messagetothebowdoincommunitynovember29-2016/

A memorial celebration of Dana Walker Mayo’s life is planned for December 10, 2016 at 11am at Bowdoin College Chapel with a reception to follow at Bowdoin College – Moulton Union Main Lounge.

In lieu of flowers you may honor his life by donating to Mid-Coast Hunger Prevention Program Brunswick, Planned Parenthood of Maine or the Appalachian Mountain Club. Memories and condolences can be shared at www.brackettfuneralhome.com.