Robert R. Squires
chemist (1953-1998)
Robert Reed Squires (January 11, 1953 – September 30, 1998) was an American chemist known for his work in gas phase ion chemistry and flowing afterglow mass spectrometry.
Early life and education
Squires was born in Northern California and grew up in Los Angeles. He received an A.A. degree at El Camino College in 1973 and then returned to Northern California where he received a B.A. at California State University, Chico. He then went on to Yale University where he worked in the laboratory of Kenneth B. Wiberg on the thermochemistry of organic compounds. He received his M.Phil. degree in 1977 and a Ph.D. in 1980. He took a postdoctoral position with Charles DePuy and Veronica Bierbaum at the University of Colorado, Boulder where he studied the reactions of gas-phase ions using the flowing afterglow technique.
Academic career
Squires took a position as an assistant professor at Purdue University in 1981 where he constructed two unique mass spectrometers: a flowing afterglow triple quadrupole mass spectrometer and a flowing afterglow selected ion flow tube triple quadrupole mass spectrometer. In 1986, he was promoted to Associate Professor and in 1990 to Professor.
Awards
Among his awards were an Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Fellowship in 1987, the American Chemical Society Nobel Laureate Signature Award for Graduate Education in Chemistry (with Susan Graul) in 1991, and the American Society for Mass Spectrometry Biemann Medal in 1998.
The public source identifies “Robert R. Squires” as chemist (1953-1998). This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Robert, Squires and chemist.
Why this record matters
A short description can identify a subject without explaining its stakes. For “Robert R. Squires”, the useful work is to connect “chemist (1953-1998)” to the records capable of establishing context and consequence.
The citation trail is more important than the brevity of the summary: it shows where individual claims can be examined in context. The source revision retrieved here is dated Sep 1, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q18738873. 1 of 1 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1953, 1998, 1973 and 1977.
A concise general-reference account can conceal disagreements about scope, terminology or the weight assigned to individual sources. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Use the entry as an orientation point, then follow its citations and revision history. Names, dates and institutional relationships should be checked against the original record.
- Subject orientation
- Search vocabulary
- Locating named sources
The closest primary source, responsible institution and strongest cited specialist reference.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Robert R. Squires”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Robert R. Squires primary sources, Robert R. Squires archive and Robert research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Robert R. Squires”?
- Which cited source is closest to the event, object or claim?
- Which institution is responsible for the underlying evidence?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Robert R. Squires” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.