Donald Othmer
Encyclopedia
Donald Frederick Othmer, born 1904, died 1995, was an American professor of chemical engineering
, an inventor, multi-millionaire and philanthropist
, whose most famous work is the Kirk-Othmer Encyclopedia of Chemical Technology.
, Nebraska
on May 11, 1904. He attended Omaha Central High School
, then gained a scholarship to the chemical engineering program at Armour Institute of Technology (now Illinois Institute of Technology
), in Chicago
. However, he changed to the University of Nebraska, graduating in 1924 in Chemical Engineering. He completed a Masters at the University of Michigan
in 1925 and completed a PhD thesis entitled "The effect of temperature, purity and temperature drop on the rate of condensation of steam" at the same university in 1927.
Company in Rochester, New York
, producing 40 patents. In 1932 he joined the Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn
as an instructor in the newly-independent Department of Chemical Engineering. He was to remain there. In 1937 he became Head of Department, which continued until 1961, when he was named Distinguished Professor. His duties ended in 1976 when he was made Professor Emeritus, but he never officially retired and was actively involved with what was by then the Polytechnic University until his death on November 1, 1995.
In 1950, following a divorce, he married his second wife, Mildred Jane Topp, also from Omaha, and an English major from the University of Nebraska. They were together for 45 years and she died in 1998.
.
In 1945, together with Dr. Raymond Eller Kirk (1890–1957), a chemist
at the same institute, he began the work which became the Kirk-Othmer Encyclopedia of Chemical Technology, a major reference work. (At that time the only comparable reference work was Ullmann
's Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry, in German.) In 1947 the first volume was published, and it was completed in 1949. The fifth edition was completed in 2007 with 27 volumes.
For this and other achievements he received awards from the American Institute of Chemical Engineers
, the American Chemical Society
, the American Institute of Chemists http://www.theaic.org/ and the Society of Chemical Industry
. In 1987 he received the New York City Mayor’s Award of Honor for Science and Technology. He was named by the readers of Chemical and Engineering News as one of the 75 greatest chemical scientists ever.
He was a successful engineering consultant and the money was wisely invested so that on the death of his wife, the estate totalled more than $750 million, much of which was disbursed in major bequests. These included Polytechnic University, Long Island College Hospital
, Brooklyn, the University of Nebraska and the Chemical Heritage Foundation http://www.chemheritage.org/, resulting in the Othmer Library of Chemical History http://othmerlib.chemheritage.org/search. A major bequest was made to Planned Parenthood
of New York, resulting in the Othmer Institute http://www.othmerinstitute.org/.
He and his wife had supported many other causes in their lifetimes, particularly in the fields of local history, medical care and institutions related to chemistry and chemical engineering. They are commemorated by buildings and awards including the AIChE Sophomore Academic Excellence Award.
Chemical engineering
Chemical engineering is the branch of engineering that deals with physical science , and life sciences with mathematics and economics, to the process of converting raw materials or chemicals into more useful or valuable forms...
, an inventor, multi-millionaire and philanthropist
Philanthropist
A philanthropist is someone who engages in philanthropy; that is, someone who donates his or her time, money, and/or reputation to charitable causes...
, whose most famous work is the Kirk-Othmer Encyclopedia of Chemical Technology.
Early life and education
Othmer was born in OmahaOmaha
Omaha may refer to:*Omaha , a Native American tribe that currently resides in the northeastern part of the U.S. state of Nebraska-Places:United States* Omaha, Nebraska* Omaha, Arkansas* Omaha, Georgia* Omaha, Illinois* Omaha, Texas...
, Nebraska
Nebraska
Nebraska is a state on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States. The state's capital is Lincoln and its largest city is Omaha, on the Missouri River....
on May 11, 1904. He attended Omaha Central High School
Omaha Central High School
Omaha Central High School, originally known as Omaha High School, was founded in 1859.The current building, located in Downtown Omaha, Nebraska, was designed by John Latenser, Sr. and built between 1900 and 1912...
, then gained a scholarship to the chemical engineering program at Armour Institute of Technology (now Illinois Institute of Technology
Illinois Institute of Technology
Illinois Institute of Technology, commonly called Illinois Tech or IIT, is a private Ph.D.-granting university located in Chicago, Illinois, with programs in engineering, science, psychology, architecture, business, communications, industrial technology, information technology, design, and law...
), in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
. However, he changed to the University of Nebraska, graduating in 1924 in Chemical Engineering. He completed a Masters at the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
in 1925 and completed a PhD thesis entitled "The effect of temperature, purity and temperature drop on the rate of condensation of steam" at the same university in 1927.
Professional life
From 1927 to 1931 he worked as an engineer at the Eastman KodakEastman Kodak
Eastman Kodak Company is a multinational imaging and photographic equipment, materials and services company headquarted in Rochester, New York, United States. It was founded by George Eastman in 1892....
Company in Rochester, New York
Rochester, New York
Rochester is a city in Monroe County, New York, south of Lake Ontario in the United States. Known as The World's Image Centre, it was also once known as The Flour City, and more recently as The Flower City...
, producing 40 patents. In 1932 he joined the Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn
Polytechnic University of New York
The Polytechnic Institute of New York University, often referred to as Polytechnic Institute of NYU, NYU Polytechnic, or NYU-Poly, is the engineering and applied sciences affiliate of New York University...
as an instructor in the newly-independent Department of Chemical Engineering. He was to remain there. In 1937 he became Head of Department, which continued until 1961, when he was named Distinguished Professor. His duties ended in 1976 when he was made Professor Emeritus, but he never officially retired and was actively involved with what was by then the Polytechnic University until his death on November 1, 1995.
In 1950, following a divorce, he married his second wife, Mildred Jane Topp, also from Omaha, and an English major from the University of Nebraska. They were together for 45 years and she died in 1998.
Accomplishments
He was a teacher for nearly 60 years, supervising many masters and doctoral students. While an academic, he continued to invent, and is credited with more than 150 US patents, as well as 350 papers, including important ones on the theory and practice of distillationDistillation
Distillation is a method of separating mixtures based on differences in volatilities of components in a boiling liquid mixture. Distillation is a unit operation, or a physical separation process, and not a chemical reaction....
.
In 1945, together with Dr. Raymond Eller Kirk (1890–1957), a chemist
Chemist
A chemist is a scientist trained in the study of chemistry. Chemists study the composition of matter and its properties such as density and acidity. Chemists carefully describe the properties they study in terms of quantities, with detail on the level of molecules and their component atoms...
at the same institute, he began the work which became the Kirk-Othmer Encyclopedia of Chemical Technology, a major reference work. (At that time the only comparable reference work was Ullmann
Fritz Ullmann
Fritz Ullmann was a German chemist.Ullmann was born in Fürth and started studying chemistry in Nuremberg, but received his PhD of the University of Geneva for work with Carl Gräbe in 1895...
's Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry, in German.) In 1947 the first volume was published, and it was completed in 1949. The fifth edition was completed in 2007 with 27 volumes.
For this and other achievements he received awards from the American Institute of Chemical Engineers
American Institute of Chemical Engineers
The American Institute of Chemical Engineers is a professional organization for chemical engineers.AIChE was established in 1908 with the purpose of establishing chemical engineers as a profession independent from chemists and mechanical engineers.As of 2010, AIChE had over 40,000 members,...
, the American Chemical Society
American Chemical Society
The American Chemical Society is a scientific society based in the United States that supports scientific inquiry in the field of chemistry. Founded in 1876 at New York University, the ACS currently has more than 161,000 members at all degree-levels and in all fields of chemistry, chemical...
, the American Institute of Chemists http://www.theaic.org/ and the Society of Chemical Industry
Society of Chemical Industry
The Society of Chemical Industry is a learned society set up in 1881 "to further the application of chemistry and related sciences for the public benefit". Its purpose is "Promoting the commercial application of science for the benefit of society". Its first president was Henry Enfield Roscoe and...
. In 1987 he received the New York City Mayor’s Award of Honor for Science and Technology. He was named by the readers of Chemical and Engineering News as one of the 75 greatest chemical scientists ever.
He was a successful engineering consultant and the money was wisely invested so that on the death of his wife, the estate totalled more than $750 million, much of which was disbursed in major bequests. These included Polytechnic University, Long Island College Hospital
Long Island College Hospital
Long Island College Hospital is a teaching hospital situated at Hicks and Amity Streets in Cobble Hill section of Brooklyn, New York.Founded in 1858, the hospital has 506 beds. In 1860 it introduced the practice of bedside teaching and it later became the first U.S. hospital to use stethoscopes...
, Brooklyn, the University of Nebraska and the Chemical Heritage Foundation http://www.chemheritage.org/, resulting in the Othmer Library of Chemical History http://othmerlib.chemheritage.org/search. A major bequest was made to Planned Parenthood
Planned Parenthood
Planned Parenthood Federation of America , commonly shortened to Planned Parenthood, is the U.S. affiliate of the International Planned Parenthood Federation and one of its larger members. PPFA is a non-profit organization providing reproductive health and maternal and child health services. The...
of New York, resulting in the Othmer Institute http://www.othmerinstitute.org/.
He and his wife had supported many other causes in their lifetimes, particularly in the fields of local history, medical care and institutions related to chemistry and chemical engineering. They are commemorated by buildings and awards including the AIChE Sophomore Academic Excellence Award.
Things named after Donald Othmer
- Othmer Building of the American Chemical SocietyAmerican Chemical SocietyThe American Chemical Society is a scientific society based in the United States that supports scientific inquiry in the field of chemistry. Founded in 1876 at New York University, the ACS currently has more than 161,000 members at all degree-levels and in all fields of chemistry, chemical...
. - Othmer Building of the Long Island College HospitalLong Island College HospitalLong Island College Hospital is a teaching hospital situated at Hicks and Amity Streets in Cobble Hill section of Brooklyn, New York.Founded in 1858, the hospital has 506 beds. In 1860 it introduced the practice of bedside teaching and it later became the first U.S. hospital to use stethoscopes...
. - Othmer Gold Medal http://www.chemheritage.org/events/event-nav2-othmer.html of the Chemical Heritage Foundation http://www.chemheritage.org/
- Othmer Hall http://www.nuengr.unl.edu/enonline/Spring03/FrontandCenter2.html houses the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at the University of Nebraska.
- Othmer Institute http://www.othmerinstitute.org/. of Planned Parenthood, New York.
- Othmer Library http://www.brooklynhistory.org/library/general.html of Brooklyn History.
- Othmer Library of Chemical History http://www.chemheritage.org/library/library.html.
- Othmer National Scholarship Awards http://www.aiche.org/Students/Awards/DonaldMildredToppOthmerNationalScholarship.aspx of the American Institute of Chemical EngineersAmerican Institute of Chemical EngineersThe American Institute of Chemical Engineers is a professional organization for chemical engineers.AIChE was established in 1908 with the purpose of establishing chemical engineers as a profession independent from chemists and mechanical engineers.As of 2010, AIChE had over 40,000 members,...
. - Othmer Olympiad Endowment of the American Chemical Society.
- Othmer Residence Hall http://www.poly.edu/residence/ at the Polytechnic University.
- Othmer Still: A laboratory device for vapor-liquid equilibrium measurements.
External Sites
- Chemical Heritage Foundation Donald F. Othmer
- Flickr Chemical Heritage Photostream Image of Donald Othmer
Further reading
- Arnold Thackray & Amy Beth Crow (eds). (1999) Donald Frederick and Mildred Topp Othmer: A Commemorative of Their Lives and Legacies Chemical Heritage Foundation: Philadelphia, PA, ISBN 0-941901-22-X Subscription needed.