Victor Gustav Bloede (chemist)

Infobox Scientist
name = Victor Gustav Bloede
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caption = Victor Bloede (ca.) 1900 [ [http://external.bcpl.lib.md.us/hcdo/cfdocs/photopage.cfm?id=14496 Victor Bloede - Baltimore County Public Library Image Archive] ]
birth_date = 1849
birth_place = Dresden, Germany
death_date = March 29, 1937
death_place =
residence = Catonsville, Maryland
citizenship = United States of America
nationality =
ethnicity = German
field = Chemistry
work_institutions = Victor G. Bloede CompanyBloede & Rathbone
alma_mater = Cooper Institute, New York
doctoral_advisor = Peter Cooper
doctoral_students =
known_for = Entrepreneurship, Philanthropist
influences =Peter Cooper
influenced =
prizes =
religion =
footnotes =

Victor Gustav Bloede (1849-1937), (pronounced as "Blerda") was a chemist [Cite web|url=http://www.colorantshistory.org/WestVirginiaDyeIndustry.html|title=The synthetic dye industry in West Virginia began with the efforts of the chemist Victor G. Bloede (1849-1937). ] and manufacturer of chemicals, president of the Victor G. Bloede Company, which for many years took the lead in Baltimore, Maryland for its special line of industry. As with most persons who have attained great success, Bloede made his way with nothing more than his own hard work and determination, coupled with business foresight and ability. With his genuine worth and strict integrity he won the confidence and high esteem of all whom he came in contact with. His history is that of a strong man who set himself to succeed in spite of all obstacles; he studied and worked hard until he stood one of the most respected men in Baltimore.

Early life and education

Bloede was born in 1849, in Dresden, Germany, the son of Gustav Bloede, a physician and member of the city council of Dresden during the German revolutions. Upon coming to the United States, Gustav Bloede served as a surgeon in the American Civil War. After the war the family settled in Brooklyn, New York. The cultured Bloede home became a salon, which attracted such 19th century figures as Thomas Bailey Aldrich. Victor received the groundwork of his education in [public school and by the age of 12 he began to support himself by working as an office boy and earned the means to pursue his studies. While working by day he studied at night at the Cooper Institute (now known as the Cooper Union) in New York City, one of the nation's oldest and most distinguished institutions of higher learning [ [http://www.cooper.edu/administration/about/history.html History of The Cooper Union] ] . His mother, Marie Franziska Bloede was his chief inspiration, guiding, encouraging, and strengthening his growth. His family was one of marked culture, not only had his father distinguished himself by work in natural sciences, but on his mother’s side as well, two uncles had been prominent in literature and politics. Like his father Victor also became interested in natural science as he studied at Cooper Institute, and he graduated in 1867, earning a chemical engineering degree at the age of 18. His class was the first at the institute to receive diplomas for the chemical engineering course. He was also privileged to have been a personal acquaintance of the great Industrialist, Inventor, philanthropist and founder of the institution, Peter Cooper, whose example and teachings were strongly influential in molding Victors character and in his life work. From reading the biographies of other great men Victor sought out and found inspiration and encouragement. From early on he set himself in motion which led to his success, concentration of effort in one direction and the perseverance to purse and achieve his goals [Baltimore: Its History and Its People, Clayton Coleman Hall, 1912, Lewis Historical Publishing Company] .

Career

In 1868 Victor secured a position at "Chemical Works", a small chemical company in Brooklyn, New York along the Gowanus creek canal. There he began to study chemical manufacturing and pharmaceutical preparations. In 1873 Bloede moved to Pomeroy, Ohio, the center of salt manufacturing along the In 1906 Victor Bloede organized the "Avalon Water Works" and the "Patapsco Electric & Manufacturing Co". [Baltimore: Its History and Its People, Clayton Coleman Hall, 1912, Lewis Historical Publishing Company] and financed the construction of Bloede's Dam, a hydroelectric dam which impounds the Patapsco River to serve as a power generating plant for the "Patapsco Electric & Manufacturing Company", a service providing electricity to Catonsville, Maryland and the surrounding areas. Bloede's dam was the first known Hydroelectric dam of-its-kind in the country. [ [http://www.dnr.md.gov/outdooradventures/ogtour.html Bloede's Dam at MD-DNR] ] [ [http://www.heritage.umd.edu/CHRSWeb/AssociatedProjects/chidesterreport/Chapter%20VII.htm#_ftnref464 Historic Context for the Archaeology of Industrial Labor in the State of Maryland] ] . He also organized the First National Bank of Catonsville, of which he was vice-president for 10 years, and in 1908 he was made president. He projected the Baltimore, Catonsville and Ellicott City Electric railway [Cite web
url=http://aok.lib.umbc.edu/staff/Wilt/OCNA_Historic.htm
title=National Register of Historic Places Registration Form for the Old Catonsville Neighborhood Association (OCNA)] , and he helped to organize the National City Bank of Baltimore, in 1910 and became one of its directors. Victor Bloede possessed the power of handling large groups of men and coordinating their energies so that the best results could be obtained. In his dealings with them he was honest and courteous, yet firm and just, and due to his executive ability came a great measure of success. This ability gave him notability in other business relations which contributed to him being in great demand on various boards of directors and won him the highest regard among his business associates as well as their sincere personal esteem. [Baltimore: Its History and Its People, Clayton Coleman Hall, 1912, Lewis Historical Publishing Company]

Philanthropy

[

the Marie Bloede Memorial Wing at the Eudowood Sanitarium. (ca. 1930) [ [http://external.bcpl.lib.md.us/hcdo/cfdocs/photopage.cfm?id=3172 Marie Bloede Memorial - Baltimore County Public Library Image Archive] ] ] Victor Bloede received a number of medals for his various useful and economic inventions which were not all instigated by a desire for financial gain, but by a selfless wish to benefit humanity at large, to advance the general health, wealth, and prosperity. It is that which Mr. Bloede proved himself a benefactor not only to the city of Baltimore, but to the nation, and the world. [Baltimore: Its History and Its People, Clayton Coleman Hall, 1912, Lewis Historical Publishing Company] Through the work he did and the influence he has exercised upon his surroundings. His devotion to his friends, his integrity in his commercial relations, and his influence over his subordinates, combined may very well have made him one of the finest business men whom Baltimore has ever known. On November 10, 1908, Victor Gustav Bloede presented the Hospital for Consumptives of Maryland (a tuberculosis sanitarium), with a new building erected on 23 acres (0.093 km²) of park grounds in Towson, Maryland, dedicated as the "“Marie Bloede Memorial Hospital for Advanced Consumptives”" in honor of his mother. It was accepted by Dr. Henry Barton Jacobs, as president, in the presence of the Governor of Maryland, Austin Lane Crothers, Reverend Bishop William Paret, Mayor of Baltimore, J. Barry Mahool, and a large and distinguished gathering. Bloede was the underwriter of many other important benefactions, and made many improvements in his home town of Catonsville, Maryland.

cientific affiliations

Victor Bloede was an active member of a number of scientific associations, such as
* the International Society of Chemical Industry
* the American Chemical Society [ [http://www.acs.org American Chemical Society] ]
* the prestigious Chemists’ Club of New York City [ [http://www.thechemistsclub.com the New York Chemists' Club] ] .
* the Johns Hopkins Club [ [http://www.jhuclub.jhu.edu Johns Hopkins Club] ] .He has also contributed to many scientific literatures
*Early Attempts to Establish the Aniline Industry-in United States [Cite web|Pdflink|url=http://pubs.acs.org/cgi-bin/abstract.cgi/iechad/1924/16/i04/f-pdf/f_ie50172a035.pdf
title=Early Attempts to Establish the Aniline Industry-in United States
author=Bloede, Victor G.
date=April 1923]

Books authored

In 1867 he authored "The Reducer's Manual and Gold and Silver Worker's Guide." [cite book
last =Bloede
first =Victor G.
authorlink =
coauthors =
title =The Reducer's Manual and Gold and Silver Worker's Guide.
publisher =
date =1867
location =
pages =167 p
url =http://name.umdl.umich.edu/AEL5212.0001.001
doi =
id =
isbn =]

Notable inventions

Invented the adhesive on postage stamps and envelopes. [Cite web
url=http://www.parkersburgcvb.org/area/fast_facts
title=Greater Parkersburg Fast Facts]

Personal and family Life

On June 5, 1883, he married Elise Schon, daughter Carl Schon Sr. from Toledo, Ohio, who designed and built summer cottages on Eden Terrace in Catonsville. Earlier, he had designed many buildings in Toledo and was superintendent of the Toledo water works for over 15 years [Cite web
url=http://www.heritagepursuit.com/Lucas/LucasSocialChapIII-741.htm
title=History of Toledo and Lucas County] . With this marriage he gained a life long companionship. Mr. and Mrs. Bloede had five children: Marie, Carl S, Ilse, Victor Gustav Bloede, Jr., and Vida. Bloede had a strong personality, alert, progressive and insightful. He believed in physical and mental exercise for a sound body and mind, he recommended to others which methods he himself had used and gained such success. In his free time he took interest in fishing, rowing and walking, he also enjoyed playing quoits and other games with family and friends and found a wealth of enjoyment in his mental exercises.

Perseverance he believed, is the secret of success. Perseverance with a well mapped out plan, allowing no obstacle to discourage or defeat. He said:

Death

He died on March 29, 1937. [cite news |first= |last= |authorlink= |coauthors= |title=V.G. Bloede, Chemist and Philanthropist. Head of Ink Manufacturing Firm Dead at 88. Had Endowed Hospital in Baltimore. |url=http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F6061FF83E5A157A93C2AA1788D85F438385F9&scp=3&sq=Bloede&st=p |quote=Victor G. Bloede, for more than fifty years a manufacturing chemist and philanthropist, died Saturday at his home in Catonsville, near Baltimore, at the age of 88. Until a few weeks ago Mr. Bloede was active as the head of the ink manufacturing company which bears his name. |publisher=New York Times |date=March 30, 1937 |accessdate=2008-05-22 ]

References

ources

* [http://www.bcpl.info The Baltimore County Public Library]
* [http://www.colorantshistory.org/WestVirginiaDyeIndustry.html West Virginia Dye Industry]
* [http://www.colorantshistory.org/AugustMerzHistory1928.html Half Century of The United States Dye History]
* [http://www.dnr.md.gov/ The Maryland Department of Natural Resources]
*Victor G. Bloede, "Some Early Attempts to Establish the Aniline Industry in United States", "Industrial and Engineering Chemistry", Vol. 16, No. 4, April 1924, p. 409
*Clayton Coleman Hall, "Baltimore: Its History and Its People" vol. 2, Lewis Historical Publishing Company, 1912 pp. 615-617