Jean Baptiste Andre Dumas (1800-1884), French chemist and statesman. He was known for his work on organic analysis and synthesis, and also for the determination of atomic weights and molecular weights by measuring vapor densities. He later devised an analytical method for the determination of nitrogen in organic compounds, a major step in quantitative organic analysis. In 1848 he entered politics, retiring in 1870. Dumas was a devout Catholic who would often defend Christian views against critics. He lived to be 83 and died of natural causes. His is one of the 72 names inscribed on the Eiffel tower.