Joseph J. Jacobs (1916–2004) was an American

chemical engineer In the field of engineering, a chemical engineer is a professional, equipped with the knowledge of chemical engineering, who works principally in the chemical industry to convert basic raw materials into a variety of products and deals with the ...

who founded

Jacobs Engineering Group Jacobs Solutions Inc. is an American international technical professional services firm. The company provides engineering, technical, professional and construction services, as well as scientific and specialty consulting for a broad range of cli ...

, a large engineering and construction company He earned degrees in chemical engineering from the

New York University Tandon School of Engineering 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 ...

, Jacobs was a

Hoover Medal The Hoover Medal is an American engineering prize. It has been given since 1930 for "outstanding extra-career services by engineers to humanity". The prize is given jointly by the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, American Institute of Mi ...

recipient as well.

Early life

Jacobs was born in

Brooklyn, New York Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...

, in 1916. His father was a Lebanese immigrant who sold straight razors. He attended

Brooklyn Technical High School Brooklyn Technical High School, commonly called Brooklyn Tech and administratively designated High School 430, is an elite public high school in New York City that specializes in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. It is one of th ...

. Jacobs worked various jobs to pay for his bachelor's degree in chemical engineering from the NYU Tandon School of Engineering, and taught college while he earned his master's degree and doctorate in that field, in 1939 and 1942, respectively. As a young engineer, he worked for Merck & Co. to develop mass production of both DDT and

penicillin Penicillins (P, PCN or PEN) are a group of β-lactam antibiotics originally obtained from ''Penicillium'' moulds, principally '' P. chrysogenum'' and '' P. rubens''. Most penicillins in clinical use are synthesised by P. chrysogenum using ...

. In 1943, he was accidentally doused with hundreds of pounds of hot

DDT Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane, commonly known as DDT, is a colorless, tasteless, and almost odorless crystalline chemical compound, an organochloride. Originally developed as an insecticide, it became infamous for its environmental impacts. ...

when a hopper valve opened. Although coated with, by his own estimate, an inch of DDT from head to foot; Jacobs suffered no ill consequences from his exposure.

Jacobs Engineering

After World War II, he moved to California, intending to go into business himself. In 1947, he opened a one-man consulting engineering business in

Pasadena, California Pasadena ( ) is a city in Los Angeles County, California, northeast of downtown Los Angeles. It is the most populous city and the primary cultural center of the San Gabriel Valley. Old Pasadena is the city's original commercial district. I ...

, where he and his wife made their home. Through both internal growth and external acquisitions, this grew into Jacobs Engineering Group, one of the largest engineering and construction companies in the world.

Later years

Jacobs stepped down as chief executive of Jacobs Engineering Group in 1992, but remained as chairman of the board. He then founded two venture capital firms and devoted time to charity work. He had previously created the Jacobs Family Foundation, which donated about $32 million to non-profit organizations. In 1998, he set up the Jacobs Center for Neighbourhood Innovation in

San Diego, California San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the eighth most populous city in the United States ...

Publications

Jacobs also authored two books. The first, ''The Anatomy of an Entrepreneur: Family, Culture and Ethics'', was an autobiography published in 1991. The second, ''Compassionate Conservative: Assuming Responsibility and Respecting Human Dignity'', was published in 1995 and outlined his political philosophy.

Honors

*Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Polytechnic University (Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn) *Trustee of

Harvey Mudd College Harvey Mudd College (HMC) is a private college in Claremont, California, focused on science and engineering. It is part of the Claremont Colleges, which share adjoining campus grounds and resources. The college enrolls 902 undergraduate students ...

(Claremont, California) *In 1983, he received the

, which recognizes the civic and humanitarian achievements of professional engineers. *In 1994, he was elected to membership in the National Academy of Engineering. His election citation states, "For the application of chemical engineering construction principles and for service to the profession." *In 2002, he received the Carroll H. Dunn Award of Excellence from the

Construction Industry Institute The Construction Industry Institute (CII), based at The University of Texas at Austin, is a non-profit consortium of more than 130 owner, engineering-contractor, and supplier firms from both the public and private arenas. The group aims to enhanc ...

. *In 2003, he was inducted into the Brooklyn Tech Alumni Foundation Hall of Fame Brooklyn Tech Alumni Foundation 2003 Hall of Fame Inductees
Retrieved March 31, 2010.

References

External links

Jacobs Family Foundation
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jacobs, Joseph J. 1916 births 2004 deaths People from Brooklyn American chemical engineers People from Pasadena, California Polytechnic Institute of New York University alumni Members of the United States National Academy of Engineering American people of Lebanese descent Brooklyn Technical High School alumni Engineers from New York City Engineers from California 20th-century American engineers Scientists from New York City