Donald Frederick Othmer (May 11, 1904 – November 1, 1995)
was an American professor of
chemical engineering
Chemical engineering is an engineering field which deals with the study of operation and design of chemical plants as well as methods of improving production. Chemical engineers develop economical commercial processes to convert raw materials int ...
, an
inventor, multi-millionaire and
philanthropist, whose most famous work is the ''
Kirk-Othmer Encyclopedia of Chemical Technology
''Ullmann's Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry'' is a major reference work related to industrial chemistry by Chemist Fritz Ullmann, first published in 1914, and exclusively in German as "Enzyklopädie der Technischen Chemie" until 1984.
Hist ...
, which is a major reference work in chemistry.''
Early life and education
Othmer was born in
Omaha,
Nebraska
Nebraska () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Kansas to the south; Colorado to the sout ...
on May 11, 1904. He attended
Omaha Central High School
Omaha Central High School, originally known as Omaha High School, is a fully accredited public high school located in downtown Omaha, Nebraska, United States. It is one of many public high schools located in Omaha. As of the 2015-16 academic year ...
, then gained a scholarship to the chemical engineering program at Armour Institute of Technology (now
Illinois Institute of Technology
Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT) is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois. Tracing its history to 1890, the present name was adopted upon the merger of the Armour Institute and Lewis Institute in 1940. The university has prog ...
), in
Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
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.
However, he changed to the
University of Nebraska
A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, ...
, graduating in 1924 in Chemical Engineering. He completed a Masters 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 ...
in 1925 and completed a doctorate in chemical engineering
with a 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 Kodak Company in
Rochester, New York
Rochester () is a city in the U.S. state of New York, the seat of Monroe County, and the fourth-most populous in the state after New York City, Buffalo, and Yonkers, with a population of 211,328 at the 2020 United States census. Located in W ...
, producing 40 patents. In 1932 he joined the
Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn
The New York University Tandon School of Engineering (commonly referred to as Tandon) is the engineering and applied sciences school of New York University. Tandon is the second oldest private engineering and technology school in the United Sta ...
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
distillation
Distillation, or classical distillation, is the process of separating the components or substances from a liquid mixture by using selective boiling and condensation, usually inside an apparatus known as a still. Dry distillation is the heat ...
.
In 1945, together with Dr. Raymond Eller Kirk (1890–1957), a
chemist
A chemist (from Greek ''chēm(ía)'' alchemy; replacing ''chymist'' from Medieval Latin ''alchemist'') is a scientist trained in the study of chemistry. Chemists study the composition of matter and its properties. Chemists carefully describe t ...
at the same institute, he began the work which became the ''
Kirk-Othmer Encyclopedia of Chemical Technology
''Ullmann's Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry'' is a major reference work related to industrial chemistry by Chemist Fritz Ullmann, first published in 1914, and exclusively in German as "Enzyklopädie der Technischen Chemie" until 1984.
Hist ...
'', a major reference work. (At that time the only comparable reference work was ''
Ullmann's Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry
''Ullmann's Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry'' is a major reference work related to industrial chemistry by Chemist Fritz Ullmann, first published in 1914, and exclusively in German as "Enzyklopädie der Technischen Chemie" until 1984.
Hist ...
'', in German.) In 1947 the first volume was published, and it was completed in 1949. The 5th edition was completed in 2007 with 27 volumes, which is the current (2021) edition.
For this and other achievements he received awards from the
American Institute of Chemical Engineers, the
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 ...
, the American Institute of Chemists and the
Society of Chemical Industry
The Society of Chemical Industry (SCI) is a learned society set up in 1881 "to further the application of chemistry and related sciences for the public benefit".
Offices
The society's headquarters is in Belgrave Square, London. There are semi-in ...
. 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
''Chemical & Engineering News'' (''C&EN'') is a weekly news magazine published by the American Chemical Society, providing professional and technical news and analysis in the fields of chemistry and chemical engineering.[Warren Buffett
Warren Edward Buffett ( ; born August 30, 1930) is an American business magnate, investor, and philanthropist. He is currently the chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway. He is one of the most successful investors in the world and has a net ...]
partnership in the early sixties, the Othmers accumulated a substantial stake in
Berkshire Hathaway
Berkshire Hathaway Inc. () is an American multinational conglomerate holding company headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, United States. Its main business and source of capital is insurance, from which it invests the float (the retained premiu ...
. At the time of Mildred Othmer's death, their estate totaled more than $750 million, much of which was disbursed in major bequests. These included Polytechnic University,
Long Island College Hospital
University Hospital of Brooklyn at Long Island College Hospital (or LICH) was a 506-bed teaching hospital located in the Brooklyn Heights and Cobble Hill neighborhoods of Brooklyn, New York. The hospital was founded in 1858 as Long Island Coll ...
, Brooklyn, the University of Nebraska and the
Chemical Heritage Foundation
The Science History Institute is an institution that preserves and promotes understanding of the history of science. Located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, it includes a library, museum, archive, research center and conference center.
It was fo ...
, resulting in the Othmer Library of Chemical History. A major bequest was made to
Planned Parenthood of New York, resulting in the Othmer Institute.
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 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 ...
.
*Othmer Building of the
Long Island College Hospital
University Hospital of Brooklyn at Long Island College Hospital (or LICH) was a 506-bed teaching hospital located in the Brooklyn Heights and Cobble Hill neighborhoods of Brooklyn, New York. The hospital was founded in 1858 as Long Island Coll ...
.
*
Othmer Gold Medal
The Othmer Gold Medal recognizes outstanding individuals who contributed to progress in chemistry and science through their activities in areas including innovation, entrepreneurship, research, education, public understanding, legislation, and ph ...
*Othmer Hall houses the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at the University of Nebraska.
*Othmer Institute of Planned Parenthood, New York.
Othmer Library at the Center for Brooklyn History
*
Othmer Library of Chemical History of the
Chemical Heritage Foundation
The Science History Institute is an institution that preserves and promotes understanding of the history of science. Located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, it includes a library, museum, archive, research center and conference center.
It was fo ...
.
*Othmer National Scholarship Awards of the
American Institute of Chemical Engineers.
*Othmer Olympiad Endowment of the
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 ...
.
*
Othmer Residence Hall at NYU School of Engineering.
*Othmermeter: A simple device for measuring the somniferous power of a lecturer's speech pattern
*Othmer Still: A laboratory device for vapor-liquid equilibrium measurements.
[R. Katzen (1992) ''Chemical Engineering Communications'' vol 116 issue 1, pages 31-33 "The Othmer Still - the foundation of all other advances in distillation"]
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,
*
*''Kirk-Othmer Encyclopedia of Chemical Technology'', 27 Volume Set, 5th Edition (2007)
References
External links
Donald F. Othmer Papersat the
Science History Institute
The Science History Institute is an institution that preserves and promotes understanding of the history of science. Located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, it includes a library, museum, archive, research center and conference center.
It was f ...
{{DEFAULTSORT:Othmer, Donald
1904 births
1995 deaths
University of Michigan College of Engineering alumni
American chemical engineers
People from Omaha, Nebraska
Polytechnic Institute of New York University faculty
20th-century American engineers
20th-century American inventors
20th-century American philanthropists
Omaha Central High School alumni