Andreas Smits, D.phil.

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(1870 - 1948)
https://chg.kncv.nl/geschiedenis/biografieen/s/smits,-a.
A. Smits at the Album Academicum of the University of Amsterdam
Smits had finished highschool in Utrecht, but did not take the exams in Greek and Latin that at that time were required for admission to University. He did, however, study chemistry in Utrecht, but could only obtain a teaching certificate. Smits wanted more, and stayed on at the University as an assistant of the Prof of Inorganic Chemistry, Hendrik Cornelis Dibbits. Under the supervision of physics professor Victor August Julius he worked on measuring vapor pressures of salt solutions, at that time a favorite subject of physical chemistry. For these measurements he constructed a manometer, on which he defended a thesis at the University of Giessen, in Germany (October 27, 1896).
Smits became chief chemist at the municipal gas works in Amsterdam. At the request of the director the mayor and aldermen of Amsterdam granted him permission to work in the laboratory of Bakhuis Roozeboom. He also took the courses of Bakhuis Roozeboom, and of Van der Waals as well. That was how his academic career got started.
In 1901 he was admitted as Privatdozent in applied chemistry, and 2 years later also in physical chemistry; in 1904 he was appointed Reader in applied chemistry. After only 1 1/2 year he was appointed in 1906 Professor of Applied Chemistry at Delft University of Technology, but 1 year later, September 1907 followed his appointment as successor of Bakhuis Roozeboom. He accepted his appointmenr with an inaugural lecture on December 9, 1907 "Chemistry in her old and new ways", and he remained in Amsterdam until retirement in 1940
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