Thomas Joseph Kealy (December 22, 1927[1] – May 17, 2012[1][2]) was an American chemist.
He had three siblings, including John F. and Josephine Joan (married Clarke).
[2] In 1951, while a student at Duquesne University, he and his advisor Peter Pauson discovered the compound ferrocene by accident, while trying to prepare fulvalene.
His published research includes the addition reaction of phenols with ethylene,[5] the chemistry of allene (propadiene, H2C=C=CH2),[6] the synthesis of diazaquinones,[7] the co-dimerization of monoalkenes and conjugated dienes.
[8] He also filed a patent on synthesis of biciclooctenones in 1957,[9] one on diazaquinones in 1960,[10] and one on extrudable alkene copolymers in 1968.