diff --git a/contrib/marat/nwchem-python/GenericAtom.py b/contrib/marat/nwchem-python/GenericAtom.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..cd04051253
--- /dev/null
+++ b/contrib/marat/nwchem-python/GenericAtom.py
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+'''
+Created on Feb 7, 2012
+
+@author: marat
+'''
+import sys
+from types import *
+
+class GenericAtom:
+    '''
+    classdocs
+    '''
+
+
+    def __init__(self,d=None):
+        '''
+        Constructor
+        '''
+        if d is None:
+            self.dict  = {}
+        else:
+            if type(d) is not type({}):
+                print "wrong type ", type(d)
+                print "expecting", type({})
+                sys.exit(1)
+            else:
+                self.dict  = d
+            
+if __name__ == '__main__':
+    a=GenericAtom({})
+    print a
+        
\ No newline at end of file