Rudolph August Witthaus Jr. (August 30, 1846 December 20, 1915) was an American physician, chemist, and toxicologist. He was the top authority on poisons in the United States and was a forensic toxicologist in many important capital murder cases of the late19th and early 20th centuries. He was also a survivor of the sinking of the SS Ville du Havre. Early life Witthaus was born in New York City. He was the son of Marie A. Dunbar and Rudolph A. Witthaus, a physician. He attended private prep schools in New York City. He graduated from Columbia College in 1867 with a Bachelor of Arts degree. While there, he was a member of the Fraternity of Delta Psi (St. Anthony Hall). He received an M.A. from Columbia University in 1870. He also studied in France at the Collége de France and the Sorbonne from 1873 to 1874. He attended the University Medical College at New York University and graduated with a Doctor of Medicine degree in 1875. Career Academic From 1876 to 1878, Witthaus was an associate professor of chemistry and physics at University Medical College. From 1878 and 1898, he was the chair and taught chemistry and toxicology at the University of Vermont. At Vermont, there was a scandal in July 1897 when 24 medical students were not graduating; most had failed Witthaus' chemistry exam. He returned to University Medical College where he was the department chair and taught physiological chemistry from 1882 to 1886. Next, he was the chair and a professor of chemistry and toxicology at the University of Buffalo from 1882 to 1888. While at Buffalo, he was also the City Chemist, working on creating clean water for Buffalo, New York. He became chair and professor of chemistry and physics at the Cornell University Medical College from 1898 to 1911. In 1911, he was named professor emeritus at Cornell, serving in that capacity until his death. Forensic toxicologist Witthaus acted as a toxicological expert in several sensational poising cases, including the trials of Howard Benham, Martin Thorn, Dr. Robert W. Buchanan, Mary Fleming in 1896, Carlyle Harris, Roland Burnham Molineux in 1900, Albert T. Patrick in 1900, and Harry Thaw in 1907. His testimony sent many murderers to the electric chair in New York State. His bill for testifying in the Molineux case was $18,550. Professional affiliations Witthaus was a fellow of the American Academy of Arts