Arthur Adamson (1919-2003) was an American chemist.
Adamson was born on August 15, 1919 in Shanghai, China to American parents. He received a Ph.D. from the University of Chicago in 1944, where he became involved in the Manhattan Project. After receiving his Ph.D., Adamson worked at Oak Ridge as a research associate for two years.
In 1946 Adamson left Oak Ridge to join the faculty in the University of Southern California’s chemistry department. He served as department chair for three years in the 1970s. Throughout his career he was a prolific writer and teacher. He is known for his Textbook of Physical Chemistry and Understanding Physical Chemistry. He was also a leader in surface and colloid chemistry.
Adamson died on July 22, 2003 at the age of 83.