Donald Laverne Katz (August 1, 1907 near

Jackson, Michigan Jackson is the only city and county seat of Jackson County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 33,534, down from 36,316 at the 2000 census. Located along Interstate 94 and U.S. Route 127, it is approxi ...

– May 29, 1989

Ann Arbor, Michigan Ann Arbor is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of Washtenaw County, Michigan, Washtenaw County. The 2020 United States census, 2020 census recorded its population to be 123,851. It is the principal city of the Ann Arbor ...

) was an American chemist and chemical engineer.Memorial Tributes: National Academy of Engineering, Volume 4 (1991;National Academy of Engineering (NAE);Donald LaVERNE Katz
/ref> The 1983

National Medal of Science The National Medal of Science is an honor bestowed by the President of the United States to individuals in science and engineering who have made important contributions to the advancement of knowledge in the fields of behavioral and social scienc ...

was presented to Katz by President

Ronald Reagan Ronald Wilson Reagan ( ; February 6, 1911June 5, 2004) was an American politician, actor, and union leader who served as the 40th president of the United States from 1981 to 1989. He also served as the 33rd governor of California from 1967 ...

"for solving many practical engineering problems by delving into a wide group of sciences and making their synergistic effects evident." The President's National Medal of Science: Recipient Details;DONALD L. KATZ; Emeritus Professor
/ref> Katz was also noted for developing a hazard rating system for dangerous bulk cargoes. ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'' called Katz an "oil expert". The

National Academy of Engineering The National Academy of Engineering (NAE) is an American nonprofit, non-governmental organization. The National Academy of Engineering is part of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, along with the National Academy ...

called him a "world leader" in reservoir engineering. Katz was chairman of the Chemical Engineering Department and A. H. White University Professor at the

University of Michigan , mottoeng = "Arts, Knowledge, Truth" , former_names = Catholepistemiad, or University of Michigania (1817–1821) , budget = $10.3 billion (2021) , endowment = $17 billion (2021)As o ...

. He was also a member of the

. He was a father to Marvin L. Katz and Linda Katz.

Notable awards and honors

Katz received the following distinctions and honors: * 1950 Hanlon Award, Gas Processors Association * 1959 President,

American Institute of Chemical Engineers The American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) is a professional organization for chemical engineers. AIChE was actually established in 1908 to distinguish chemical engineers as a profession independent of chemists and mechanical engineer ...

* 1959 Michigan Engineer of the Year,

Society of Petroleum Engineers The Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit professional organization whose stated mission is "to collect, disseminate, and exchange technical knowledge concerning the exploration, development and production of oil and ...

* 1962 Distinguished Lecturer,

* 1963 Visiting Professor, National School of Chemistry, Rio de Janeiro * 1964 John Franklin Carll Award,

* 1964 Distinguished Faculty Achievement Award,

* 1964 Founders Award,

* 1967 Warren K. Lewis Award,

* 1968 Member,

* 1968 William H. Walker Award,

* 1969 Honorary Member,

Phi Lambda Upsilon Phi Lambda Upsilon National Honorary Chemical Society () was founded in 1899 at the Noyes Laboratory of the University of Illinois. Phi Lambda Upsilon was the first honor society dedicated to scholarship in a single discipline, chemistry. Object ...

* 1970 Mineral Industries Award,

American Institute of Mining Engineers The American Institute of Mining, Metallurgical, and Petroleum Engineers (AIME) is a professional association for mining and metallurgy, with over 145,000 members. It was founded in 1871 by 22 mining engineers in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, Uni ...

* 1972 Distinguished Public Service Award,

U.S. Coast Guard The United States Coast Guard (USCG) is the maritime security, search and rescue, and law enforcement service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the country's eight uniformed services. The service is a maritime, military, multi ...

* 1975 E. V. Murphree Award,

American Chemical Society The American Chemical Society (ACS) 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 155,000 members at all d ...

* 1977 Gas Industry Research Award,

American Gas Association The American Gas Association (AGA) is an American trade organization founded in 1918 representing and advocating on behalf of local energy companies that deliver natural gas throughout the United States. History The American Gas Association forme ...

* 1978 Lucas Gold Medal,

* 1979 Award of Merit, Michigan Historical Society * 1983 Selected as an Eminent Chemical Engineer, 75th Anniversary of American Institute of Chemical Engineers * 1983

* 1984 Designated Distinguished Member,

* 1986 Honorary Member,

Education

* 1931 B.S.E., Chemical Engineering,

* 1932 M.S., Chemical Engineering,

* 1933 Ph.D., Chemical Engineering,

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Katz, Donald L. 1907 births 1989 deaths 20th-century American chemists 20th-century American engineers University of Michigan College of Engineering alumni Members of the United States National Academy of Engineering People from Jackson County, Michigan University of Michigan faculty People from Ann Arbor, Michigan