Rowland Pettit (February 6, 1927 – December 10, 1981) was an Australian-born American chemist.^[1] He was awarded an overseas scholarship from the Royal Commission 1851 from 1952 - 1954. He came to London to Queen Mary College to conduct research into "the molecular orbital theory of organic chemistry and its application". ^{[2] [3]} Pettit was noted for preparation of Cyclobutadieneiron tricarbonyl and the related trimethylenemethane complex.^[1][3][2] Pettit was head of the Department of Chemistry^[1][2] and W. T. Doherty Professor in Chemistry at the University of Texas, Austin,^[1][2] a member of the National Academy of Sciences,^[1][2][3] a member of the American Chemical Society,^[3] a member of the Chemical Society of London,^[3] a recipient of the American Chemical Society's the Southwest Regional Award,^[3][2][1] a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.^[2][3]

The University of Texas said that Pettit was an "internationally recognized organic chemist".^[3]

• 1927 born in Port Lincoln, Australia^[3]
• 1949 B.Sc, University of Adelaide^[3]
• 1950 M.Sc, University of Adelaide^[3]
• 1953 PhD in chemistry, University of Adelaide^[3]
• 1954 2nd PhD, Queen Mary College in London ^[3]
• 1957 assistant professor, the University of Texas, Austin^[3]
• 1960 associate professor, the University of Texas, Austin^[3]
• 1963 professor of chemistry, the University of Texas, Austin^[3]
• 1968 Southwest Regional Award, the American Chemical Society^[3]
• 1970-1974 Chairman of Department of Chemistry, the University of Texas, Austin^[3]
• 1973 elected to the National Academy of Sciences^[3]
• 1980 advanced to W. T. Doherty Professor in Chemistry, the University of Texas, Austin^[3]
• 1981 dies in Austin, Texas

Some of his work has been summarized with a focus on his synthesis of Cyclobutadieneiron tricarbonyl.^[5]

• John C. Gilbert, "Rowland Pettit", Biographical Memoirs of the National Academy of Sciences (1995)