Benjamin Silliman Senior (1779-1864), American chemist. Silliman initially studied law, but in 1802 he was appointed as professor of chemistry and natural history at Yale University, USA. He was a keen populariser of science, and founded the American Journal of Science (AJS) in 1818. He became the first president of the Association of American Geologists in 1840, and was also a founding member of the National Academy of Science in 1863.