Edward G. Jefferson (July 15, 1921, London – February 9, 2006) was a British-born American chemical engineer,

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 ...

, businessman, CEO and Chairman of DuPont corporation. USA Today:Former DuPont CEO Ed Jefferson dies at 84;By Maureen Milford and Gary Haber, The (Wilmington) News Journal
/ref> National Academy of Engineering, Memorial Tributes: Volume 11 (2007);EDWARD GRAHAM JEFFERSON;WRITTEN BY CHARLES O. HOLLIDAY JR.
/ref> During Jefferson's leadership as Chairman, DuPont suffered from numerous controversies; such as polluting public waterways.

Early life

Jefferson served in the Royal Artillery during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

and took part in the Normandy invasion in 1944. He later graduated with honors in chemistry from King's College at the University of London, where he also received a doctorate.

Career

He joined DuPont in 1951, and was named the chief operating officer and president of the company in 1980 and was named the chairman and CEO in 1981 before retiring from the company in 1986. In 1981, while the chief operating officer and president of DuPont, Jefferson led the acquisition of Conoco and during his tenure pushed biochemical and bioengineering initiatives. Jefferson also served on the

University of Delaware The University of Delaware (colloquially UD or Delaware) is a public land-grant research university located in Newark, Delaware. UD is the largest university in Delaware. It offers three associate's programs, 148 bachelor's programs, 121 ma ...

board of trustees between 1980 and 1997 when he retired from the board and was awarded trustee emeritus status. He served on multiple other educational boards such as the advisory board for the School of International and Public Affairs at

Columbia University Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhatt ...

and as a trustee for the

University of Pennsylvania The University of Pennsylvania (also known as Penn or UPenn) is a private research university in Philadelphia. It is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and is ranked among the highest-regarded universitie ...

and

Tuskegee University Tuskegee University (Tuskegee or TU), formerly known as the Tuskegee Institute, is a private, historically black land-grant university in Tuskegee, Alabama. It was founded on Independence Day in 1881 by the state legislature. The campus was de ...

. Jefferson was also a Robert S. Hatfield fellow in economic education at

Cornell Cornell University is a private statutory land-grant research university based in Ithaca, New York. It is a member of the Ivy League. Founded in 1865 by Ezra Cornell and Andrew Dickson White, Cornell was founded with the intention to teach a ...

and a Warren K. Lewis lecturer at

MIT The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a private land-grant research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Established in 1861, MIT has played a key role in the development of modern technology and science, and is one of the m ...

. Jefferson was a member of the

American Philosophical Society The American Philosophical Society (APS), founded in 1743 in Philadelphia, is a scholarly organization that promotes knowledge in the sciences and humanities through research, professional meetings, publications, library resources, and communit ...

, a member of the

American Academy of Arts and Sciences The American Academy of Arts and Sciences (abbreviation: AAA&S) is one of the oldest learned societies in the United States. It was founded in 1780 during the American Revolution by John Adams, John Hancock, James Bowdoin, Andrew Oliver, a ...

, a trustee of the

Academy of Natural Sciences The Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University, formerly the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, is the oldest natural science research institution and museum in the Americas. It was founded in 1812, by many of the leading natura ...

, and a member of 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 of ...

(elected in 1986 "for outstanding research leadership and exceptional contributions to university-industry cooperation in science and engineering, and for creative direction of one of the world’s largest industrial organizations"). He was also a member of the American Section of 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 ...

, the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, a former member of the

President's Export Council The President's Export Council is an American government organization that serves as the principal national advisory committee on international trade. The Council advises the President of government policies and programs that affect U.S. trade perfo ...

and a member of US Council for International Business amongst others.

Personal life

At his death he had been married to his wife Naomi Love for 52 years and was predeceased by two of his four sons.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Jefferson, Edward G. 1921 births 2006 deaths Alumni of King's College London Businesspeople from London British emigrants to the United States American chemical engineers 20th-century American chemists American chief executives of manufacturing companies DuPont people Members of the American Philosophical Society British Army personnel of World War II Royal Artillery personnel 20th-century American engineers 20th-century English businesspeople Military personnel from London