Adolf von Baeyer, German chemist, 1835-1917

Son of a noted geodesist and lieutenant-general in the Royal Prussian Army, Baeyer became famous for his synthesis of indigo and the development of a nomenclature for cyclic compounds (that was subsequently extended and adopted as part of the IUPAC organic nomenclature). He was ennobled in the Kingdom of Bavaria in 1885 and was the 1905 recipient of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry "in recognition of his services in the advancement of organic chemistry and the chemical industry, through his work on organic dyes and hydroaromatic compounds". Baeyer continued in full active work as one of the best-known teachers in the world of organic chemistry up to within a year of his death.