Obituary for Wayland Evan Noland
Wayland Evan Noland, born December 8, 1926, in Madison, Wis. to Lowell and Ruth Noland. On October 4, 2022, Wayland joined his parents, his sister Ruth Campbell, and nephew Thane George Campbell to live on in the hearts of those whose lives they touched. Survived by niece Tanaquil Campbell Clarkson, her husband Gary and their children Angela and Casey; nephew Howard Campbell, wife Veronica and their daughters Ruth and Noela; nephew Lowell Campbell and partner Elahe Toosi. He also leaves behind hundreds of friends and colleagues and thousands of students who will miss him dearly.
His parents were zoologists, his father was a prominent zoology Professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Wayland cherished his childhood in Madison, often reminiscing of his time outdoors exploring the area lakes and wildlife, even mapping the contours of Lake Wingra one summer. The map is still available from Wisconsin DNR. He excelled in school and attended Phillips Exeter Academy for one summer. He graduated from high school in 1944. His first love was meteorology, becoming a Westinghouse Science talent search finalist writing on amateur weather forecasting. This accomplishment was rewarded with the honor of meeting First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt on the steps of the White House. His undergraduate work at the University of Wisconsin-Madison was interrupted in 1945. He was drafted by the Army and trained as a medic near the end of WWII. When the invasion of Japan was called off, he was discharged after 11 months, with an extra $550 in his bank account. He never spent a penny of his $50 monthly salary while in the Army. He even earned extra by selling the cigarette rations that he didn’t just give away. Wayland returned to Madison and finished his bachelor’s degree in Chemistry in 1948. He was Valedictorian, graduating with a 4.0 GPA. Proceeded to Harvard University, earning a PhD. in Physico-Organic Chemistry, mentored by Professor Paul D. Bartlett PhD.
Wayland moved to Minneapolis in 1951, beginning a 68-year career at the University of Minnesota- Twin Cities. First as a Dupont postdoctoral fellow in the Walter M. Leuer research
group, Chemistry Department -- University of Minnesota. Then as assistant Professor in 1952, full Professor in 1962. Officially retired 12/31/2016. Continued to lead his lab until August 2019. Wayland had a long and storied career. His research focused on heterocyclic chemistry, especially indole chemistry. He published around 150 research manuscripts in peer-reviewed journals. He was known for his great teaching ability, teaching organic chemistry to about 14,000 undergraduate and graduate students. In 1999, he was named “Best instructor in Chemistry” by the Institute of Technology student board. He served as the department’s acting chairman from 1967-1969. He served many years on the boards and investment committees for Organic Syntheses, Inc. and the American Chemical Society. Wayland was a proponent of undergraduate research, giving hundreds of undergraduate students the opportunity to work in his research lab up to 2020, when the research lab closed. Wayland was proud of his research group and demanded high-quality work from his graduate and undergraduate students and employees. His students and employees will remember him for his dedication to teaching and research, his observant nature and kind guidance.
Wayland enjoyed fishing and the outdoors in his free time. He was passionate about recycling and even taught an undergraduate freshman course on the subject. He loved collecting things he found and lived by the motto “waste not, want not”. He frequented garage sales and drove a hard bargain. He had close affiliations with the Alpha Chi Sigma Chemical fraternity on campus. He also cared about his community by serving as a Precinct Election Judge and being a member of the ACLU and the Minnesota Chapter of the ACLU.
His list of accomplishments is extensive, but he will mostly be remembered for his kindness to all, friendly disposition, and charitable heart. Generous to a fault with his time and money. He was known as a hard worker, dedicated to the University and his students. He worked seven days a week into his 90’s, though never averse to catnaps at his desk. His vacations were ACS meetings, and trips to friends’ cabins in Wisconsin and Minnesota. He gave generously to the institutions he was passionate about including the University of Minnesota, UW-Madison, Harvard, Phillips Exeter Academy and the University of Wisconsin Center for Limnology. His legacy will live on through the people he touched. He would prefer any memorials to be given to either the institutions above or one that is important to you. He also advises that you reduce, reuse and recycle; listen to all viewpoints, be kind to others and vote!
Visitation Sunday October 16, 2022, 3:00-6:00 p.m.at Gill Brothers Funeral Home, 5801 Lyndale Ave. So. Minneapolis. Memory sharing 5:00 p.m. Interment Forest Hills Cemetery, Madison, WI Monday October 17, 2022 1:00 p.m. (livestream link: https://vimeo.com/758813316)
www.GILLBROTHERS.com
MINNEAPOLIS, MN 612-861-6088
His parents were zoologists, his father was a prominent zoology Professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Wayland cherished his childhood in Madison, often reminiscing of his time outdoors exploring the area lakes and wildlife, even mapping the contours of Lake Wingra one summer. The map is still available from Wisconsin DNR. He excelled in school and attended Phillips Exeter Academy for one summer. He graduated from high school in 1944. His first love was meteorology, becoming a Westinghouse Science talent search finalist writing on amateur weather forecasting. This accomplishment was rewarded with the honor of meeting First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt on the steps of the White House. His undergraduate work at the University of Wisconsin-Madison was interrupted in 1945. He was drafted by the Army and trained as a medic near the end of WWII. When the invasion of Japan was called off, he was discharged after 11 months, with an extra $550 in his bank account. He never spent a penny of his $50 monthly salary while in the Army. He even earned extra by selling the cigarette rations that he didn’t just give away. Wayland returned to Madison and finished his bachelor’s degree in Chemistry in 1948. He was Valedictorian, graduating with a 4.0 GPA. Proceeded to Harvard University, earning a PhD. in Physico-Organic Chemistry, mentored by Professor Paul D. Bartlett PhD.
Wayland moved to Minneapolis in 1951, beginning a 68-year career at the University of Minnesota- Twin Cities. First as a Dupont postdoctoral fellow in the Walter M. Leuer research
group, Chemistry Department -- University of Minnesota. Then as assistant Professor in 1952, full Professor in 1962. Officially retired 12/31/2016. Continued to lead his lab until August 2019. Wayland had a long and storied career. His research focused on heterocyclic chemistry, especially indole chemistry. He published around 150 research manuscripts in peer-reviewed journals. He was known for his great teaching ability, teaching organic chemistry to about 14,000 undergraduate and graduate students. In 1999, he was named “Best instructor in Chemistry” by the Institute of Technology student board. He served as the department’s acting chairman from 1967-1969. He served many years on the boards and investment committees for Organic Syntheses, Inc. and the American Chemical Society. Wayland was a proponent of undergraduate research, giving hundreds of undergraduate students the opportunity to work in his research lab up to 2020, when the research lab closed. Wayland was proud of his research group and demanded high-quality work from his graduate and undergraduate students and employees. His students and employees will remember him for his dedication to teaching and research, his observant nature and kind guidance.
Wayland enjoyed fishing and the outdoors in his free time. He was passionate about recycling and even taught an undergraduate freshman course on the subject. He loved collecting things he found and lived by the motto “waste not, want not”. He frequented garage sales and drove a hard bargain. He had close affiliations with the Alpha Chi Sigma Chemical fraternity on campus. He also cared about his community by serving as a Precinct Election Judge and being a member of the ACLU and the Minnesota Chapter of the ACLU.
His list of accomplishments is extensive, but he will mostly be remembered for his kindness to all, friendly disposition, and charitable heart. Generous to a fault with his time and money. He was known as a hard worker, dedicated to the University and his students. He worked seven days a week into his 90’s, though never averse to catnaps at his desk. His vacations were ACS meetings, and trips to friends’ cabins in Wisconsin and Minnesota. He gave generously to the institutions he was passionate about including the University of Minnesota, UW-Madison, Harvard, Phillips Exeter Academy and the University of Wisconsin Center for Limnology. His legacy will live on through the people he touched. He would prefer any memorials to be given to either the institutions above or one that is important to you. He also advises that you reduce, reuse and recycle; listen to all viewpoints, be kind to others and vote!
Visitation Sunday October 16, 2022, 3:00-6:00 p.m.at Gill Brothers Funeral Home, 5801 Lyndale Ave. So. Minneapolis. Memory sharing 5:00 p.m. Interment Forest Hills Cemetery, Madison, WI Monday October 17, 2022 1:00 p.m. (livestream link: https://vimeo.com/758813316)
www.GILLBROTHERS.com
MINNEAPOLIS, MN 612-861-6088