[1] Born in Philadelphia, to John Hancock Arnett, a physician, and Katherine Williams McCollin,[2] a singer and composer, Arnett was a Quaker and conscientious objector who served in the Civilian Public Service during World War II.
[3][page needed] Arnett completed his undergraduate degree at the University of Pennsylvania, and in 1949, earned a Ph.D from the same institution.
[3][page needed] In 1968, Arnett was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship.
[5] He joined the faculty of Duke University in 1980 and, three years later, was named a member of the National Academy of Sciences.
[5] At Duke, Arnett was appointed the R.J. Reynolds Professor of Chemistry, and retired in 1992.