Sean Patrick McGlynn

Dr. Seán Patrick McGlynn, Boyd Professor of Chemistry Emeritus, Dean of Graduate School, Vice-Chancellor for Research, recipient of the von Humboldt Prize, University of Bonn, Physics Institute, Germany, and beloved father, we miss you. Seán P. McGlynn died at his home on Pecan Grove Court, Baton Rouge, La. at the age of 93 on Friday, May 3, 2024, he was the devoted father of 8 children.

Dr. Seán P. McGlynn, a native of Dungloe, Ireland, was born on March 8, 1931, and earned his Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry and Master of Science degree in biochemistry from the National University of Ireland in 1951 and 1952. He earned his doctorate degree in chemistry at Florida State University in 1956 and joined the LSU faculty as an assistant professor of chemistry in 1957. He was named Boyd Professor in 1968, LSU’s highest academic rank. A noted teacher and mentor, he is a prolific author (399 publications) and highly requested speaker in a broad range of fields including chemistry, physics, and radiation biology. His career reached far beyond his research and teaching into administration. He was named dean of the Graduate School for a one-year term from 1981-82. In 1981, he was also named Vice Chancellor for Research. It was in this role that McGlynn left his indelible mark on the university. Through his efforts, LSU achieved the Carnegie Foundation’s Research I University ranking, placing it in the top 70 institutions in the nation. He is credited with dramatically enhancing research productivity and funding in the science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) disciplines. His contributions also led to the acquisition of $25 million in federal funding for the synchrotron facility (CAMD), the restructuring of the LSU museum complex, creation of the Center for Energy Studies, development of the proposal for the endowed chairs as part of the 8g trust fund, and to the creation of the Boyd Professor Research Fund. He co-authored the eight documents entitled “Quality Thrust Initiative” which ultimately saw the creation of research clusters across the campus in areas such as biotechnology, coastal and environmental sciences, physical sciences, and computer and information sciences. He retired in 1998, and continued his research, writing, and teaching within the Department of Chemistry at LSU.

Seán Patrick McGlynn was married for 35 years to Ilona 'Helen' Magdalena Dohnányi, the daughter of Ilona von Dohnanyi and Ernst von Dohnányi, the great Hungarian pianist, composer, and conductor. They had five children: Seán Ernst, Daniel Julian, Brien Charles, Sheila Ann, and Alan Patrick. Danny and Alan would become lawyers, Sean a PhD biologist, Brien a naval officer with a master’s degree in nursing, and Sheila earned a master’s degree in geography, became a planner and was also a noted author. He married Maureen Potts, on 11/03/98, with whom he would have three more children: Shane, Brennan, and Colin, Shane a PhD Chemist and Brennan with an associates degree and Colin a baccalaureate degree. Brennan and Colin are still in school.

He is survived by his loving sons, Seán Ernst, Daniel Julian, Brien Charles, Shane Joeseph Gerli, Brennan John Patrick and Colin Michael Joeseph their wives Katy Avery Fox McGlynn, Gabrielle Valentina Pastore McGlynn, Mary Lynn Justice McGlynn; his only daughter, Sheila, and husband Jeff LeBlanc. He has 19 grandchildren, Brendan, Rory, Cassie, Julia, Riley, Olivia, Aidan, and Ethan; granddaughter, Ryan and her father John Starling; Jennifer, Robert, Emily, and little Brian and their mother Jacque Roberts; Ainsley and Emma and their mother Charlotte Bourgeois; and grandson, Logan and his mother Nancy Miller. He has 14 great-grandchildren: Skylar Jade LeBron and Robert Earl are the children of Robert McGlynn, Ellie (Walker) Moreland, Christina Neal, Lime Hursey and Zachary Hursey are children of Jennifer Hursey, Ella and Finn are the children of Emily and Tony Vasallo, Iris is the daughter of Cassie and Keegan Lee and Isabella and Ilona, the daughters of Brendan and Rachael McGlynn, and Hazel who is the daughter of Ryan Starling. He is also survived by his current wife, Maureen Potts.

He was preceded in death by his mother, Cassie McGlynn, a decorated veteran of the War of Irish Independence, who was incarcerated as a prisoner of war by the British; his father, Danny McGlynn, a noted carpenter who had to work abroad to support his family during the years of war, his sisters Maura and Nan, his son Alan Patrick, grandson Brien, and his first wife Helen. His memorial service will be held on May 18th 2024 at Rabenhorst Funeral Home & Crematory in Baton Rouge on government street. Guest arrivals will begin at 10 AM with the memorial service starting at 11:30 AM. In lieu of flowers, please donate to your favorite charity in Sean’s name. Know that he loves you and is raising children, teaching, and researching in heaven above.

His scientific research interests span chemistry, physics, and biology. His major interests were:

1. Giant Molecules and Atoms: Very highly excited atoms and molecules can be enormous. It is difficult to imagine an oxygen (O2) molecule or sodium (Na) atom to be larger than any biological or synthetic polymer. Yet, that is the case. Such giant molecules/atoms can be generated by placing the system in very high principal quantum number states, say n>100. Because of their size, these systems have very special properties. They are exceedingly polarizable, 106 or more that of the ground state; they are very readily ionized, even by microwave radiation; they may exhibit spin-uncoupling, so that an even-numbered electron system possesses half-integer angular momenta (i.e., behaves like an odd-electron system); they exhibit orbital paramagnetism; they have unusual chemical reactivities; etc. And, above all, it is a fun area in which to work.

2. Plasmas: Plasma is a highly energetic mix of ions, electrons and excited state species which exists only at very high temperatures (combustion) or in large electrical fields. We are concerned with flames, and with dc and rf fields. We probe the plasma using laser optoacoustics (conversion of light into sound), optogalvanics (conversion of light into electrical effects), Raman spectroscopy, etc. Our aim is to understand plasma kinetics, and the way in which these affect the deposition of thin films, such as diamond, on different surfaces. We also intend to develop the optogalvanic probe into a real-time feedback regulator of both combustion efficiency and combustion cleanliness (i.e., a good burn with no bad environmental effects).

3. Radiation Biology: The aim is to relate mutagenicity and carcinogenicity to radiation insult. Unfortunately, this has proven difficult. Part of the problem is that insult may occur in a nanosecond frame (10-9s) whereas cancer development may take years (say, 109s), so that 18 decadic steps may separate insult from result. Our aim has been to find an intermediate point, somewhere in the vicinity of 1 second (10os), such that events at this point can be related to either extreme, thus shortening the number of decadic steps from 18 to 9. We have discovered such an event, namely the set of DNA molecular lesions (and their probability) that is produced by a given radiation. We have shown that these sets of lesions can be used as radiation identifiers. Thus, the gist of our efforts consists of the generation of lesion data bases, better methods of DNA lesion assay, neural networking of these databases and, eventually, correlation to the carcinogenic terminus.

Selected Publications (out of his 399 scientific publications and 10,232 citations)

• W.S. Felps, J.D. Scott and S.P. McGlynn, "Magnetic Circular Dichroism of CD3I in the Vacuum Ultraviolet," J. Chem. Phys. 104:419 (1996).

• L. Klasinc, I. Novak and S.P. McGlynn, "Photoelectron Spectra of Compounds with Carbon-Halogen Bonds," Chapter 4 (61 pages) in a book (edited by S. Patai and P. Rappaport) entitled, Organic Chemistry of the Carbon-Halogen Bond, J. Wiley & Sons, New York, 1995.

• D. Kumar, R.R. Zinn, T.D. Armstrong, S.P. McGlynn, "The Optogalvanic Effect as a Probe of Plasma Processes," J. Phy. Chem. (M.F.A. El-Sayed Festschrift), 99:7530 (1995).

• K. Rupnik and S.P. McGlynn, "The Simulation of an Unusual MCD Spectrum: 5p->6s Transition of HI," J. Chem. Phys. 103:18 (1995).

A memorial visitation for Sean will be held Saturday, May 18, 2024 from 10:00 AM to 11:30 AM at Rabenhorst Funeral Home & Crematory, 825 Government Street, Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70802, followed by a memorial service at 11:30 AM.