Robert B. Cody Papers

Collection

Identifier: 2024-036

Staff Only

Scope and Content

The Robert B. Cody Papers contain the professional files and printed materials of American analytical chemist, mass spectrometrist, and inventor Robert B. Cody. The collection is arranged into the following three series:

Nicolet Instrument Corporation Files
JEOL Files
Printed Materials

Dates

Creation: 1959-2002
Creation: Majority of material found within Bulk 1980-1994

Creator

Cody, Robert (Person)

Language of Materials

A majority of the materials in this collection are in English. Also includes a small amount of materials in Japanese.

Access Restrictions

There are no access restrictions on the materials for research purposes and the collection is open to the public.

Copyright Information

The Science History Institute holds copyright to the Robert B. Cody Papers. The researcher assumes full responsibility for all copyright, property, and libel laws as they apply.

Background Note

Robert B. Cody (1952-) is an American analytical chemist, mass spectrometrist, and inventor. He is best known for his research and development work in the area of mass spectrometry. Cody earned his B.S. in Chemistry from Roanoke College (1976) and his Ph.D. in Analytical Chemistry from Purdue University (1982). At Purdue, he studied mass spectrometry under the supervision of American analytical chemist Ben S. Freiser. While still a graduate student, he developed trapped-ion tandem-in-time and MSn mass spectrometry techniques, laser desorption/Fourier Transform Ion Cyclon Resonance mass spectrometry (FTICR), and Electron Impact Excitation of Ions from Organics (EIEIO).

After earning his Ph.D., Cody went to work at Nicolet Instrument Corporation, an American scientific instrument manufacturer, where he served as a Senior Scientist (1982-1989). At Nicolet, he was a member of the firm’s FTMS Group, with whom he conducted research and development work on Fourier Transform Mass Spectrometers. He also continued his work on FTICR and MSn mass spectrometry. Instruments Cody helped to develop at Nicolet included the firm’s FTMS 1000 and FTMS 2000 mass spectrometers.

In 1989, Cody joined the staff of JEOL USA, Incorporated, the American subsidiary of Japanese scientific instrument manufacturer JEOL Limited, where he served as Product Manager (1989-2020) and Principal Scientist (1989-Present). At JEOL, he continued his research and development work on mass spectrometers and various mass spectrometry applications, including laser desorption, electrospray ionization, and time-of-flight mass spectrometry. While working at JEOL, Cody and his colleague James A. Laramee co-invented the Direct Analysis in Real Time (DART) ion source, an alternative to radioactive ion sources used in chemical agent monitors, which was patented in 2003.

Robert B. Cody authored and co-authored more than 100 publications and was awarded several patents over the course of his career. He is an active member of several professional organizations, including the American Chemical Society and the American Society for Mass Spectrometry. Cody is also the recipient of several awards, including the Association of Analytical Chemists' Anachem Award (2011).

Sources

Phillips, Kristin Elise, “Faces of Mass Spectrometry - Robert “Chip” Cody.” August 2018. https://www.asms.org/publications/journal-of-the-american-society-for-mass-spectrometry-group/faces-of-mass-spectrometry.

“Robert B. (“Chip”) Cody: The Opposite of Pandora’s Box? DART and Ambient Ionization Mass Spectroscopy.” https://bioforumconf.com/isra13-plenary-speakers/71-robert-b-cody.

Robert B. Cody Papers, Science History Institute Archives, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.