Warren K. Lewis

Warren Kendall Lewis (21 August 1882-9 March 1975) was an MIT professor who has been called the father of modern chemical engineering [http://www.nap.edu/html/biomems/wlewis.html Biographical Memoirs, National Academy of Science] ] . He co-authored an early major textbook on the subject [W. H. Walker, W. K. Lewis & W. H. McAdams (1923) "Principles of Chemical Engineering" New York, McGraw-Hill] which essentially introduced the concept of unit operations. He also co-developed the Houdry process under contract to The Standard Oil Company of New Jersey (now ExxonMobil) into modern fluid catalytic cracking with Edwin R. Gilliland, another MIT professor.

Life

He was born in Laurel, Delaware on 21 August 1882 and went to MIT to study engineering. He took the chemical engineering option from the Department of Chemistry, which so engaged him that he went for postgraduate study of physical chemistry in Breslau, Germany, receiving the degree of DSc in 1908. After some industrial experience as a chemist, he returned to MIT and in 1920 he became the first head of the newly-formed Department of Chemical Engineering at MIT a position he held for 13 years before returning to teaching and research. He was made professor emeritus in 1948 and continued to work within the department until his death on 9 March 1975.

Honours

He received numerous awards both for his research and contributions to education, including the Perkin Medal of the Society of Chemical Industry (1936), the Lamme Medal of the American Society of Engineering Education (1947) and the Priestley Medal of the American Chemical Society (1947).He is commemorated in the "Warren K. Lewis Award for Chemical Engineering Education" [ [http://www.aiche.org/About/Awards/WarrenKLewisAward.aspx Warren K. Lewis Award] ] of the AIChE and in the Warren K. Lewis Lectureship at MIT [ [http://web.mit.edu/cheme/news/lewis.html Lewis lecture] ] .

References

External links

* [http://www.technologyreview.com/read_article.aspx?ch=&sc=&id=16835&pg=1 Article on Lewis]
* [http://www.chemheritage.org/classroom/chemach/engineering/little-walker.html Profiles of Lewis, Arthur D. Little and William H. Walker]