John Augustus Just
Encyclopedia
Evaporated milk
Evaporated milk, also known as dehydrated milk, is a shelf-stable canned milk product with about 60% of the water removed from fresh milk. It differs from sweetened condensed milk, which contains added sugar. Sweetened condensed milk requires less processing since the added sugar inhibits ...
. For his scientific achievements, he was awarded a medal by the committee celebrating Berthelot
Berthelot
Berthelot is a surname, and may refer to:*Amable Berthelot, Québécois lawyer*André Berthelot, a secretary-general of La Grande Encyclopédie*Chantal Berthelot, a member of the French National Assembly...
’s 50th anniversary.
Just registered dozens of patents with the United States Patent Office. He also founded several companies in the Syracuse, New York
Syracuse, New York
Syracuse is a city in and the county seat of Onondaga County, New York, United States, the largest U.S. city with the name "Syracuse", and the fifth most populous city in the state. At the 2010 census, the city population was 145,170, and its metropolitan area had a population of 742,603...
area including the Just Mining and Extraction Company, the Just's Food Company, the Just Process Company and the Just Reduction Company. He belonged to numerous scientific societies, and his work in investigative chemistry gained him worldwide recognition.
Early life and education
John Augustus Just claimed to have been born in KarlsbadKarlovy Vary
Karlovy Vary is a spa city situated in western Bohemia, Czech Republic, on the confluence of the rivers Ohře and Teplá, approximately west of Prague . It is named after King of Bohemia and Holy Roman Emperor Charles IV, who founded the city in 1370...
, Germany; United States census records, however, indicate that he was born in the small town of Feilbingert
Feilbingert
Feilbingert is a municipality in the district of Bad Kreuznach in Rhineland-Palatinate, in western Germany....
in the state of Rhineland-Palatinate
Rhineland-Palatinate
Rhineland-Palatinate is one of the 16 states of the Federal Republic of Germany. It has an area of and about four million inhabitants. The capital is Mainz. English speakers also commonly refer to the state by its German name, Rheinland-Pfalz ....
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. He was one of five children. Their parents were Christian and Julia (Steel) Just; Christian was a merchant, interested in coal-mining.
Little is known about Just's early years; William Martin Beauchamp
William Martin Beauchamp
William Martin Beauchamp was an American ethnologist and Episcopal clergyman. He published several works on the archeology and ethnology of the Haudenosaunee in New York.-Early life and education:...
wrote that "John A. Just from early boyhood days manifested the strong mentality and love of scientific research which have gained him eminence as a chemist". He attended German public schools, Bonn University, the technology school at Zurich
Zürich
Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is located in central Switzerland at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich...
and Heidelberg University (from which he graduated as Doctor of Science
Doctor of Science
Doctor of Science , usually abbreviated Sc.D., D.Sc., S.D. or Dr.Sc., is an academic research degree awarded in a number of countries throughout the world. In some countries Doctor of Science is the name used for the standard doctorate in the sciences, elsewhere the Sc.D...
at age 18).
Immediately after graduation Just emigrated to New York following the war between Germany and France
Franco-Prussian War
The Franco-Prussian War or Franco-German War, often referred to in France as the 1870 War was a conflict between the Second French Empire and the Kingdom of Prussia. Prussia was aided by the North German Confederation, of which it was a member, and the South German states of Baden, Württemberg and...
, leaving Antwerp in the spring of 1874 and arriving in New York shortly afterwards. Upon his arrival he lived in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
for 13 years, working as a chemist for a large corporation. He continued to study chemistry at the Astor Library
Astor Library
The Astor Library was a free public library developed primarily through the collaboration of New York merchant John Jacob Astor and New England educator and bibliographer Joseph Cogswell. It was primarily meant as a research library, and its books did not circulate...
.
Marriage and family
In 1886 Just moved to Syracuse, where he lived for the remainder of his life. He married Annie Laurie (Baughman) Just; however, the year and place of the marriage is unknown. He had a son, Morton C. Just, with a Canadian woman whose identity is unknown. Just and Annie had three children: John H., Mary H. and Alvah L.In June 1902, Dr. Just purchased two building lots in Selkirk Beach (on the shore of Lake Ontario
Lake Ontario
Lake Ontario is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded on the north and southwest by the Canadian province of Ontario, and on the south by the American state of New York. Ontario, Canada's most populous province, was named for the lake. In the Wyandot language, ontarío means...
– not to be confused with the Selkirk
Selkirk, New York
Selkirk is a hamlet in the town of Bethlehem, Albany County, New York. It is located south of the city of Albany, it is an suburb of that city....
near Albany
Albany, New York
Albany is the capital city of the U.S. state of New York, the seat of Albany County, and the central city of New York's Capital District. Roughly north of New York City, Albany sits on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River...
) from Edmund Brown to build a summer cottage. No construction was done, and the lots were sold a short time later to Edwin M. Gallup of Syracuse. Just purchased the Tollner mansion in Pulaski, New York
Pulaski, New York
Pulaski is a village in Oswego County, New York, United States. The population was 2,365 at the 2010 census.The Village of Pulaski is within the Town of Richland, and lies between the eastern shore of Lake Ontario and the Tug Hill region. The village is located on US Route 11 and is adjacent to...
in April 1903. In August 1905, Just purchased the Bartels residence in Syracuse, taking possession after returning from a trip to Europe in November of that year and transferring ownership of the Tollner mansion to Mr. Bartels. At this time, his new house in Syracuse was valued at $40,000 and was viewed as one of the finest pieces of property on West Genesee Street.
Syracuse businesses
Just's Food Company
Under US Patent 764,294, Just began to employ his new method of evaporating milk into a dried powder. The technique (later known as the Just Milk Process) involves first treating a sample of milk with calcium chlorideCalcium chloride
Calcium chloride, CaCl2, is a salt of calcium and chlorine. It behaves as a typical ionic halide, and is solid at room temperature. Common applications include brine for refrigeration plants, ice and dust control on roads, and desiccation...
to reduce its acidity and then with alkaline hypochlorite
Hypochlorite
The hypochlorite ion, also known as chlorate anion is ClO−. A hypochlorite compound is a chemical compound containing this group, with chlorine in oxidation state +1.Hypochlorites are the salts of hypochlorous acid...
to preserve the fatty acids in the finished product. The treated milk is then rolled between two large, horizontal steam-heated rollers. This action dries the milk; it is then scraped off and collected.
Just was instrumental in founding Just's Food Company and the Just Milk Process, which was incorporated on November 15, 1902 with $10,000 in capital. The main product of the company was an infant food, which contained his famous evaporated milk and was praised for its lack of artificial ingredients. The formula was to be diluted in milk and was said to be “nearly like the natural food of an infant”. Physicians in Syracuse regarded it highly for its nutritional value claiming “It is in the proper physiological form and the right proportion to grow strong bones, steady nerves and hard, firm flesh”.
Extensive testing was done on Just’s dried milk to analyze its nutritional value and purity. When compared with other forms of dried milk, the Just Process produced a product that was superior in vitamin and mineral content and solubility, and aided in preventing certain childhood diseases. The company was later bought by the Merrell-Soule Company, which became one of the largest dried-milk companies in the United States. Just sold the rights to his evaporation process to James Robertson Hatmaker, which became known as the "Just-Hatmaker Process".
Just Mining and Extraction Company
Just's US Patent 814,294 was a new way to extract precious metals from their ores. Before his invention chlorinizing and roasting of the ore was required, which was found to be too costly in fuel, money and time. The new technique (also known as the Just process) was claimed to be much more efficient and hence, more attractive to mining executives. Just's process included chemical treatment of the ore, completely omitting the costly techniques used before. These chemicals extract the metal directly from the ore, dispensing it in the form of a fine metallic precipitate. This precipitate is washed and melted into ingotIngot
An ingot is a material, usually metal, that is cast into a shape suitable for further processing. Non-metallic and semiconductor materials prepared in bulk form may also be referred to as ingots, particularly when cast by mold based methods.-Uses:...
s, while the extraction chemical is collected and reused.
This development attracted some of the "largest and most expert mining operators of the century as well as capitalists who reckon their wealth by millions". The Just Mining and Extraction Company was incorporated on September 29, 1904 with $250,000 in financial capital
Financial capital
Financial capital can refer to money used by entrepreneurs and businesses to buy what they need to make their products or provide their services or to that sector of the economy based on its operation, i.e. retail, corporate, investment banking, etc....
. Its immediate success attracted mining expert Major J. M. Reynolds and United States Senators Richard F. Pettigrew
Richard F. Pettigrew
Richard Franklin Pettigrew was an American lawyer, surveyor, and land developer. He represented the Dakota Territory in the U.S. Congress and, after the Dakotas were admitted as States, he was the first U.S. Senator from South Dakota.-Biography:Pettigrew was born in Ludlow, Windsor County,...
of South Dakota
South Dakota
South Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is named after the Lakota and Dakota Sioux American Indian tribes. Once a part of Dakota Territory, South Dakota became a state on November 2, 1889. The state has an area of and an estimated population of just over...
and William Andrews Clark
William Andrews Clark
William Andrews Clark, Sr. was an American politician and entrepreneur, involved with mining, banking, and railroads.-Biography:...
of Montana
Montana
Montana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...
. After visiting Syracuse to analyze the company and its processes, the men decided to construct of a reduction
Redox
Redox reactions describe all chemical reactions in which atoms have their oxidation state changed....
plant in Tonopah, Nevada
Tonopah, Nevada
Tonopah is a census-designated place located in and the county seat of Nye County, Nevada. It is located at the junction of U.S. Routes 6 and 95 approximately mid-way between Las Vegas and Reno....
(an area rich in precious-metal ores).
Given the success of Just's company, corporate growth was both necessary and inevitable. Mr. A. Wiswall, an associate of the company, told a newspaper reporter in Syracuse that "the Just Mining and Extraction Company is moving forward steadily without interruption and delay". On April 7, 1905, the Just Process Company was incorporated with capital of $1,000,000, and Just was elected scientific director of the new company. The name of the company was officially changed from the Just Mining and Extraction Company to the Just Process Company on March 10, 1910, following Just's death.
Later life and death
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
and Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
. In Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
they met a mining engineer, who asked Just to visit the tin mines in Cornwall, England. During his visit to the mines, he collected a sample of ore and brought it back to Syracuse for experimentation.
Just was appointed chairman of the Syracuse branch of the National Board of Health in June 1908. However, he was stricken with a chronic illness that year and spent much of his time at the family's summer home in Cazenovia, New York
Cazenovia, New York
Cazenovia is a town in Madison County, New York, United States. The population was 6,481 at the 2000 census. The town is named after Theophilus Cazenove, an agent of the Holland Land Company.The Town of Cazenovia has a village also named Cazenovia...
. Two weeks before his death, his condition further deteriorated; his family moved him to his Syracuse home where he died on September 13, 1908, aged 54 years. He is buried in Syracuse under the Just Monument, designed by his wife and sculpted by Charles E. Tefft.
Organizations
John Augustus Just was a member of scientific organizations from many countries. These organizations include:- American Association for the Advancement of ScienceAmerican Association for the Advancement of ScienceThe American Association for the Advancement of Science is an international non-profit organization with the stated goals of promoting cooperation among scientists, defending scientific freedom, encouraging scientific responsibility, and supporting scientific education and science outreach for 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...
- American Geographical SocietyAmerican Geographical SocietyThe American Geographical Society is an organization of professional geographers, founded in 1851 in New York City. Most fellows of the society are Americans, but among them have always been a significant number of fellows from around the world...
- Chemists Club of New York
- American Academy of Political and Social ScienceAmerican Academy of Political and Social ScienceThe American Academy of Political and Social Science was founded in 1889 to promote progress in the social sciences. Sparked by Professor Edmund J. James and drawing from members of the faculty of the University of Pennsylvania, Swarthmore College, and Bryn Mawr College, the Academy sought to...
- American Forestry AssociationAmerican Forestry AssociationThe American Forestry Association was formed in Chicago, Illinois in September 1875 by John Aston Warder. The current headquarters are in Washington, D.C.. The organization acts as a clearinghouse for environmental organizations working to preserve world tree growth. The "National Register of...
- Society for the Protection of the Adirondack Mountains
- New York section of the Chemical Industry
- National Geographical Society of Washington D.C.
- Heidelberg Club of Syracuse
- Royal Meteorological SocietyRoyal Meteorological SocietyThe Royal Meteorological Society traces its origins back to 3 April 1850 when the British Meteorological Society was formed as a society the objects of which should be the advancement and extension of meteorological science by determining the laws of climate and of meteorological phenomena in general...
of London - Society of Arts and Commerce of London
- International Congress of Applied Science of Berlin and Rome
Patents
Just was reported to have nearly 170 patents worldwide; the following are US patents (by number and date) registered under his name:
|
|
|
|
|