Profiles in Science: John Bennett Fenn

“Don't ever try to be a scientist or engineer!” Had John Bennett Fenn listened to this advice given by his ninth-grade teacher, he might not have gone on to pursue a career in analytical chemistry that would culminate in the attainment of the Nobel Prize in 2002. Gathered from interviews, publication analyses, glowing tributes, and his reminiscences, this article outlines the academic and professional life of John Bennett Fenn from childhood through the end of his career in 2010.