Richard Errett Smalley (June 6, 1943–October 28, 2005) was the Gene and Norman Hackerman Professor of Chemistry and a Professor of Physics and Astronomy at Rice University, in Houston, Texas.

Smalley attended Hope College before transferring to the University of Michigan where he received his B.S. in 1965.
Between his studies, he worked in industry, where he developed his unique managerial style. He received his Ph.D. from Princeton University in 1973.
He is currently working on Carbon nanotubes and associated nanotechnologies. He is an outspoken critic of the idea of molecular nanotechnology.
Smalley died on October 28, 2005, at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas, at the age of 62.

Honors:

Harold W. Dodds Fellow, Princeton University, 1973
Alfred P. Sloan Fellow, 1978–1980
Fellow of the American Physical Society, 1987
Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, 2003
[edit] Awards and prizes
Irving Langmuir Prize in Chemical Physics, American Physical Society, 1991
Popular Science Magazine Grand Award in Science & Technology, 1991
APS International Prize for New Materials, 1992 (Joint with R. F. Curl & H. W. Kroto)
Ernest O. Lawrence Memorial Award, U.S. Department of Energy, 1992
Welch Award in Chemistry, Robert A. Welch Foundation, 1992
Auburn-G.M. Kosolapoff Award, Auburn Section, American Chemical Society, 1992
Southwest Regional Award, American Chemical Society, 1992
William H. Nichols Medal, New York Section, American Chemical Society, 1993
The John Scott Award, City of Philadelphia, 1993
Hewlett-Packard Europhysics Prize, European Physical Society, 1994
Harrison Howe Award, Rochester Section, American Chemical Society, 1994
Madison Marshall Award, North Alabama Section, American Chemical Society, 1995
Franklin Medal, The Franklin Institute, 1996
Nobel Prize in Chemistry, Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, 1996
Rice University Homecoming Queen, Rice University Undergraduates, 1996 (according to, confirmed by Smalley's official CV at)
Distinguished Civilian Public Service Award, Department of the Navy, 1997
American Carbon Society Medal, 1997
Top 75 Distinguished Contributors, Chemical & Engineering News, 1998
Lifetime Achievement Award, Small Times Magazine, 2003
Glenn T. Seaborg Medal, University of California at Los Angeles, 2002
Distinguished Alumni Award, Hope College, 2005
50th Anniversary Visionary Award, SPIE – International Society for Optical Engineering, 2005