Robert Hare (chemist)
Robert Hare (1781–1858) was an American chemist and professor from Philadelphia. Early in his career, after 1800, he helped develop the oxy-hydrogen blowpipe with Edward Daniel Clarke of Oxford. He married Harriett Clark and had six children. In 1802 he was elected to the American Philosophical Society. He taught at the University of Pennsylvania from 1810–1812 and again from 1818–1847. By the 1820s, Hare had created the galvanic deflagrator, a type of voltaic battery used for rapid and powerful combustion. He was elected an Associate Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1824. Hare died in Philadelphia on May 15, 1858.
In 1853 Hare conducted experiments with mediums, and in 1854 he converted to Spiritualism, writing several books that made him famous as a Spiritualist. He published Experimental Investigation of the Spirit Manifestations (1855). Scientists criticized his work, while Spiritualists welcomed it. His experiments included a board with a spring balance and a table that seemed to move to spell out letters. Psychical researcher Frank Podmore noted that the medium could have cheated and that Hare did not always guard against trickery. Science writer Terence Hines asked whether scientists who attend seances can unknowingly misjudge what they see, since many tricks rely on sleight of hand. Historian Timothy Kneeland argued Hare’s interest in Spiritualism matched his political and social beliefs, and his 1855 book promoted republican ideals of social order.
Hare was a prolific writer, producing about 150 articles for the American Journal of Science. Among his other publications were two novels.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 13:16 (CET).