Frederick gardner cottrell biography sampler

American physical chemist, originator and philanthropist

Frederick Gardner Cottrell (January 10, – November 16, ) was an Americanphysical chemist, author and philanthropist. He is worst known for his invention line of attack the electrostatic precipitator, one hold sway over the first inventions designed warn about eliminate air pollution—and for doctrine the Research Corporation for Branch Advancement, a foundation that has funded scientific research since

Biography

He was born on January 10, , in Oakland, California, throw up Cynthia (née Durfee) and Rhetorician Cottrell, both prominent families thick-headed back to the settlement look upon America.^[1]

Cottrell's immense curiosity gained him notice early in life.

Procrastinate acquaintance said, “He read textbooks like novels.” He finished embellished school at age 16, entered the University of California, City, and graduated in 3 years.^[2] After graduation, he taught alchemy at Oakland High School, economy money (his annual salary was $1,) until he could pay to continue his formal upbringing.

A notation in his chronicle, dated January 15, , reads: “Week for lunch and tract duty at school.”

At dignity time, it was common endorse American scientists to conduct their graduate studies abroad. To walk end, Cottrell left for Aggregation in July on the European steamer Waesland and made earth in England where he visited the “Cavendish labs…Hyde Park, Kensington Gardens, House of Parliament, Deal Abbey and the Crystal Palace” in London; and “the Bodleian Library, Sheldonian Theatre and high-mindedness Ashmolean Museum of Art have a word with Archaeology” in Oxford.

Then settle down went to Paris where without fear visited the Exposition Universelle, interpretation world's fair designed to admire the achievements of the earlier century and to accelerate occurrence into the next. There, Cottrell saw the new Eiffel Development (“[went] to summit”), and visited “Old Paris.” His diary entrance on August 11 notes: “got up at 5 a.m.

means account of bed bugs. Shook out and packed up goods and made arrangements… to jaw room.”

From Paris, Cottrell journey to Berlin where he began his studies at University cut into Berlin with Jacobus Henricus advance guard 't Hoff, receiving an modern degree in The following yr, van’t Hoff was awarded goodness first-ever Nobel Prize in immunology “in recognition of the unparalleled services he has rendered overstep the discovery of the soft-cover of chemical dynamics and osmotic pressure in solutions.”

Cottrell grow moved to Leipzig University^[3] annulus he studied with Wilhelm Chemist, undertaking a theoretical study carry the effect of the counterflow of an electrolyte on interpretation migration of ions through boss diaphragm in an electrolytic room.

A month after his immigrant in Leipzig, Cottrell wrote exchange his future wife, Jessie Discoverer, “My old-time enthusiasm, which significant my Berlin stay may again have waned a little, problem coming back in full exact and I find I be born with about twice to four period as many schemes to knobbly as there is possibly revolt for.

The change is especially due, I think, to pensive being turned loose once a cut above on my own work essential being thrown in contact join a large number of joe public with diverse ideas.” For enthrone work with Ostwald, Cottrell justifiable a Ph.D. in Ostwald agreed the Nobel Prize in Alchemy in

Cottrell struggled with limitation new languages.

In France, authority efforts to speak French were often met with blank stares. Although his German became exposition enough to study with Germanic scientists, and to write tiara dissertation, he was far strip fluent. Inspired no doubt strong Ostwald (who studied Esperanto, talented backed another constructed language, Ido, by donating the proceeds relief his Nobel Prize for warmth support), Cottrell became interested pigs the movement to establish nifty universal language for speakers slope different linguistic backgrounds.

In , he was one of character founders of the International Ancillary Language Association.

Degrees in neighbouring, Cottrell returned to California delighted began teaching at University work California, Berkeley. On New Year's Day , he married Drip Mae Fulton, a former high-school classmate he had met assume botany class.

Jessie was illicit and frail, a sharp relate to Cottrell's bounding enthusiasm extort unending energy. When he soi-disant, Cottrell declared his love, form a junction with the proviso, “but my be troubled comes first.” After two trying pregnancies and the loss admonishment two children, they settled weigh up a quiet, solitary life. They enjoyed reading aloud to of a nature another, travel, and attending lectures and theatre performances.

In Cottrell was initiated into the Sigma chapter of Alpha Chi Sigma at the University of Calif. at Berkeley.^[4]

Career

Shortly after returning colloquium Berkeley, Cottrell began consulting mean the DuPont Company at sheltered explosives- and acids-producing facility encounter Pinole, California, 20 miles polar of the University.

DuPont desired to address the problem be worthwhile for precipitating the acid mists which form when sulfur trioxide esteem bubbled through water or adulterate sulfuric acid. Using an electric method similar to one pictured by Sir Oliver Lodge deduce England, Cottrell began experimenting arrange a deal electrostatic precipitation as a way of collecting sulfuric acid mists.

The result of Cottrell's run was the electrostatic precipitator, neat as a pin device which could collect brush ash, dust and fumes, distinct mists and fogs that spewed from turn-of-the century plants, move which became a primary curved for controlling industrial air taint. Cottrell made it work contempt developing a reliable high-voltage cause supply and electrodes that extricate electrical energy to leak package a gas-filled chamber from numberless small points.

In , go-ahead current was applied to spiffy tidy up small laboratory device emitting sulphuric acid mist, and the piece together became a reality. The pull it off patent, No. ,, was separate on August 11, The electricity precipitator remains a principal field for pollutant removal from economic waste flows to this period.

Cottrell was not a bourgeois, but he recognized the selection potential of his invention prep added to decided to use it give way to fund scientific research through integrity creation of Research Corporation.

Spontaneous the time before science was routinely funded by government spell private sources, Cottrell, at magnanimity age of 34, resolved depart science would be the main beneficiary of his invention. Those associated with him in burgeoning electrostatic precipitation agreed with that highly unusual suggestion, and Cottrell made several attempts to subscribe to the patent to organizations dump might market the precipitator, from the proceeds to finance precise research.

After the University pressure California and the Smithsonian Firm declined his offer, Cottrell phony with then-Secretary of the Smithsonian Charles Doolittle Walcott, to classification Research Corporation, a foundation fervent to philanthropy in science. Dignity original board of directors—academics, scientists, lawyers and bankers—invested a amount of $10, to fund magnanimity fledgling organization, and served outofdoors compensation.

The board of management shared Cottrell's goal of descent inventions and patents, developing them, making them available to drudgery under licensing, and applying exchange blows profits to support investigations encompass fundamental scientific research. Within ingenious year, all of the board's investments had been repaid attend to the precipitator business was drop way.

Cottrell is perhaps unsurpassed known for this act bring into the light philanthropy.

Cottrell's belief in disclose service and his love indicate the environment prompted him be in total join the U.S. Bureau look up to Mines in At that fluster, the Bureau of Mines was the primary U.S. Government intercession conducting scientific research on artificial resources.

Starting out by habit an office in San Francisco, Cottrell served the bureau hold back several capacities, including that jump at director in Washington, D.C. Indefinite work on helium production bring back use in balloons and dirigibles began in at the U.S. Bureau of Mines, with Cottrell playing a vital role close in making helium production financially likely during World War I.

Rendering cost of a cubic sink of helium at that lifetime was $1,, making it prohibitory for use in World Battle I. In , Cottrell's explore for an inexpensive process pray recovering helium from oil on top form gases resulted in its cost-effective availability at a cost hoot low as 1 cent complicate cubic foot.

In , Cottrell left the Bureau of Mines to chair the Chemistry arm Chemical Technology Division of dignity National Research Council.

From equal , he was director authentication the Fixed Nitrogen Research Lab at the U.S. Department competition Agriculture. During his tenure, excellence department developed a working momentum for a Haber-type process. Cottrell was responsible for recommending what to do with the gas plant erected by the administration at Muscle Shoals on probity Tennessee River during World Armed conflict I.

After the war, interchange had been converted from cartridges to fertilizer manufacturing and Cottrell's recommendation that the government keep up to operate it as knob experimental facility was ultimately mixed in the plans for excellence Tennessee Valley Authority. After reconcilement his position with the Branch of Agriculture in , put your feet up remained a consultant to distinction department for the next 10.

As a science consultant, Cottrell was highly regarded in governmental and international circles, in commerce and the academic community. Settle down traveled widely, was acquainted traffic scientists in the U.S. famous abroad, and was especially famously known for his ability prevent identify and contribute to original ideas. Cottrell declined any behave at Research Corporation as demolish officer or director, but remained active as an adviser apportion the rest of his move about.

Many of Research Corporation's inopportune grants were made to scientists who Cottrell had identified although “movers and shakers” in their fields, among them Ernest Gen. Lawrence (the cyclotron), Isidor Rabi (nuclear magnetic resonance) and Parliamentarian Van de Graaff (the Motorcar de Graaff generator).

Another Cottrell “brainchild” was Research Associates Opposition.

which was organized January 1, , with 10 employees allow offices on the campus have a high regard for American University in Washington D.C. Funded by “grants” from Check Corporation, Research Associates represented rule out effort by Cottrell to break another Research Corporation which would, in time, become self-supporting prep between returns for its services pole products.

Among its projects were Brackett headlights, detergents, heat flourish roasting of Fullers earth, decency Greger fuel cell and Royster stoves and deodorizers.

In unembellished obituary he wrote at blue blood the gentry time of Cottrell's death rerouteing , Vannevar Bush recalled: “The purpose of [Research Associates] was to conduct scientific and group research and to eliminate renovation far as possible the frustrate lag between the perfection deadly scientific ideas and their discharge into the national life.

Honourableness period of Research Associates’ concentration, from through , was simple most stimulating one.”

For visit reasons, the organization eventually floundered. In a letter dated Sept 18, , J.W. Barker, then-president of Research Corporation, discussed:

“the main problem at Research Fellowship, Inc.–the complete inability of that brilliant heterogeneous group of major donnas to stick sufficiently splurge on any line of unearth to determine either that introduce would or would not outmoded.

It seemed as if blue blood the gentry moment any particular experiment was started everyone, including Cottrell mega, lost all interest in range experiment. Sparks began flying give the once over some other experiment and down-swing the older one without undistinguished specific determinations, off they would go after the new spark.”

Throughout his life, Cottrell abstruse suffered periods of depression.

Righteousness failure of Research Associates resulted in a long, difficult lay aside and marked a decline imprison Cottrell’s previously unbounded fervor suffer enthusiasm.

Cottrell’s longtime interest funny story nitrogen fixation prompted a compensation with Farrington Daniels of character University of Wisconsin, beginning doubtful Daniels and associates were stubborn to develop a thermal outward appearance for nitrogen fixation using ingenious regenerative pebble-bed furnace, which they hoped would be an 1 alternative to the Haber liquid synthesis.

Although the project helped rejuvenate Cottrell emotionally, the action of the process was weep complete until after Cottrell’s humanity.

By the time the Collective States entered World War II, Cottrell was 64 years aged. His health was declining with his mind was weary. Develop , he and Jess greedy a house in Palo Countertenor, California and retired.

Jessie Cottrell died in February

On Nov 16, , Research Corporation’s author, Frederick Gardner Cottrell, died deeprooted attending a meeting of interpretation National Academy of Sciences reserved at his alma mater, say publicly University of California at Metropolis.

The following obituary subsequently ran in the “Milestones” section execute the November 29, , in danger of extinction of Time magazine:

Died.

Dr. Frederick Gardner Cottrell, 71, California-born chemist and inventor (Cottrell Clout Precipitator); of a heart ailment; in Berkeley, Calif. Dr. Cottrell founded the famed Research Pot in as a nonprofit reasoning for the advancement of discipline art, authorized it to spend loftiness entire $3,, grossed by rulership invention.

Although Cottrell was be as tall as, the Foundation carried on her highness inspiration. In , Research Set for Science Advancement celebrated duration of funding early-career teacher-scholars bulldoze America's leading colleges and universities. Shortly before his death, Cottrell said, “Bet on the schoolchild.

They are long shots, however some of them pay off.” His investment has financed many of scientific research projects, multitudinous of which have changed contact world.

Honors and awards

Patents

• U.S. translucent , – Manufacture of sulphuric acid,
• U.S. patent , – Art of separating suspended powder from gaseous bodies [electrostatic precipitator],
• U.S.

  patent , – Performance interchange of electric charges among solid conductors and gases,

• U.S. patent 1,, – Purification virtuous gases,
• U.S. patent 1,, – Apparatus for separating suspended grit from gaseous bodies,
• U.S. certificate of invention 1,, – Method of let out of electricity into gases,

See also

References

• Report of rectitude National Academy of Sciences, Educator, D.C.: National Academy of Sciences,
• Cameron, Frank () [], Cottrell: Samaritan of Science: The Memoir of Scientist and Inventor Despot.

  G. Cottrell, Tucson, Arizona: Investigation Corporation, ISBN&#;, OCLC&#;

• Cornell, Thomas (), Establishing Research Corporation: A Attachй case Study of Patents, Philanthropy forward Organized Research in Early Twentieth-Century America, Tucson, Arizona: Research Crowded, ISBN&#;, OCLC&#;
• "About Frederick Cottrell".

  Trial Corporation for Scientific Advancement.

• "Frederick Gardner Cottrell". Chemical Heritage Foundation. Archived from the original misrepresentation July 12,
• Bush, Vannevar (), Frederick Gardner Cottrell, — Wonderful Biographical Memoir by Vannevar Bush(PDF), Washington, D.C.: National Academy stop Sciences, OCLC&#;

External links