- Paul H. Emmett
Paul Hugh Emmett (
September 22 ,1900 -April 22 ,1985 ) was an American chemical engineer born inPortland, Oregon . After completing his baccalaureate at Oregon Agricultural College (nowOregon State University ), Emmett went on to theCalifornia Institute of Technology , where he earned his Ph.D. He was also a classmate and close friend ofLinus Pauling at both institutions. In 1976, Emmett married Pauling's sister, Pauline.Dr. Emmett became chair of the Chemical Engineering Department at The
Johns Hopkins University in 1937. In 1943 he left the university to join the staff of theManhattan Project , where he was instrumental in developing a technique for the separation of Uranium-235 from U-238. Following a residency at theMellon Institute of Industrial Research, Dr. Emmett returned to Johns Hopkins in 1955, as the W. R. Grace Professor in the Chemistry Department. He was active both nationally and internationally with various chemistry committees and conferences. Dr. Emmett’s contributions include theBET theory for calculating the surface area of a material from the amount of gas it absorbs; work with ammonia and iron nitride; and many other detailed experiments.Emmett retired from Johns Hopkins in 1971. He then became research professor in the Chemistry Department at
Portland State University , undertaking new research areas such as surface area of soils and the porosity of coals, presenting seminar talks and offering advanced courses in catalysis.External links
* [http://osulibrary.orst.edu/specialcollections/coll/emmett/index.html Paul Emmett Papers at Oregon State University (including photos)]
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