Donald F. Othmer

Donald F. Othmer
Name	Donald F. Othmer
Birth date	1904-07-02
Death date	1995-12-01
Nationality	American
Fields	Chemical engineering, Chemistry
Institutions	Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn, New York University, Columbia University, Institute of Chemical Engineers

Donald F. Othmer was an American chemical engineer, inventor, editor, and philanthropist best known for co‑editing a major reference work in chemical technology. He combined academic positions with industrial consulting and entrepreneurial activity, contributing to chemical engineering education, process design, and reference literature. His career bridged institutions, professional societies, and publishing ventures, leaving a legacy reflected in endowments and named facilities.

Early life and education

Born in Schenectady, New York, Othmer attended public schools before matriculating at the Union College (New York), where he earned an undergraduate degree in chemical engineering. He pursued graduate studies at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and completed advanced work at the University of Michigan and Columbia University. During this period he engaged with faculty connected to American Institute of Chemical Engineers, Society of Chemical Industry, and contemporaries from General Electric and DuPont laboratories.

Career and contributions

Othmer began his professional career at the Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn and later held affiliations with New York University and visiting appointments at Rutgers University and Princeton University. He worked as a consultant for firms including Standard Oil, Eastman Kodak Company, BASF, and Dow Chemical Company, advising on processes encountered in petrochemical, pharmaceutical, and polymer plants. Othmer served on advisory committees for agencies such as the National Science Foundation and the Office of Naval Research, collaborating with leaders from Harvard University, Yale University, and Johns Hopkins University on curriculum development and research priorities.

Othmer Encyclopedia of Chemical Technology

Othmer is most widely associated with the multi‑volume reference originally published as the Othmer Encyclopedia of Chemical Technology, co‑edited with Kirk-Othmer contributors and supported by publishers linked to John Wiley & Sons and editorial boards drawn from American Chemical Society, Royal Society of Chemistry, and Institute of Chemical Engineers. The encyclopedia assembled entries on industrial processes, materials, and safety, attracting authors from MIT, Caltech, Stanford University, and multinational companies like Shell and Monsanto. It became a standard reference in libraries at institutions including Columbia University, University of California, Berkeley, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology Library.

Research and publications

Othmer published technical articles and reviews on distillation, mass transfer, reactor design, and physical property data, citing experimental work similar to research from H. Scott Fogler and Rudolph A. Marcus-era physical chemists. His editorial work compiled contributions from authorities such as Linus Pauling, Glenn T. Seaborg, and engineers affiliated with Air Products and Chemicals and Union Carbide, producing chapters on solvents, polymers, and process safety. He contributed to handbooks and encyclopedias alongside editors from McGraw-Hill and authors connected to IEEE and ASM International.

Honors, awards, and affiliations

Othmer received recognition from professional bodies including the American Institute of Chemical Engineers and the American Chemical Society, and he was honored by universities such as Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and Cornell University with lectureships and honorary degrees. He served on councils for the National Academy of Engineering and advisory boards for the Smithsonian Institution and the Metropolitan Museum of Art philanthropic panels. Awards bearing his name and those by his peers link him to philanthropic lists alongside benefactors like Andrew Carnegie and John D. Rockefeller III in university donor records.

Philanthropy and legacy

Othmer and his wife engaged in philanthropy, endowing chairs, funding scholarships, and supporting cultural institutions including the Guggenheim Museum, Brooklyn Museum, and medical centers affiliated with NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital and Bellevue Hospital. His estate established trusts that provided gifts to the New York Public Library, Syracuse University, and programs at Princeton Theological Seminary. Named facilities and awards continue to commemorate his impact at institutions such as Polytechnic Institute, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and libraries that maintain the Othmer collections.

Category:American chemical engineers Category:1904 births Category:1995 deaths