Donald L. Campbell
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University of Michigan
Inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame (1999)
Donald Lewis Campbell | |
|---|---|
| Born | August 5, 1904 Clinton, Iowa, U.S. |
| Died | September 14, 2002 (aged 98) |
| Alma mater | Iowa State University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Harvard Business School University of Michigan |
| Awards | Ronald H. Brown American Innovator Award; Inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame (1999) |
Donald Lewis Campbell (August 5, 1904 – September 14, 2002) was an American chemical engineer. He and his team of three other scientists are most known for having developed the fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) process in 1942. This process provided a more efficient method for petroleum refiners to obtain high-octane gasoline by through the conversion of crude oil. The team was awarded US Patent No. 2,451,804, A Method of and Apparatus for Contacting Solids and Gases, and eventually transformed the way petroleum was developed. Their invention was especially important in World War II, as refiners could finally provide enough fuel for the Allies’ fighter planes to battle against the Axis. For his significant contributions to the field of chemical engineering, Campbell was inducted in the National Inventors Hall of Fame in 1999.[1]
Donald L. Campbell was born in Clinton, Iowa on August 5, 1904. From an early age, he showed a great fascination towards invention and solving problems. At the age of 16, Campbell took part in a national essay contest, which was sponsored by the Department of War. Twelve million contestants participated to write on the advantages of joining the army. One of the judges was General John J. Pershing. Campbell won first place. The first line of his essay read: “As Horace Greely once said, ‘Young man, go West.’ We now say, ‘Young man, join the Army.’” He was awarded the prize May 4, 1920 in Washington DC.[2] Later, he began his higher-level education at Iowa State University, where he majored in chemical engineering and came first in his class. Afterward, he earned his master’s degree at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.[3] He completed his education by attending Harvard Business School.[4]
Beginning of career
His intelligence and interest in chemical engineering eventually led him to work for Exxon. He spent 41 years of his life there, 25 of which he spent in the Exxon Research and Engineering Company (ER&E). There, he became part of a team of four chemical engineers. Together, the four developed a breakthrough invention called the cracking process. Eventually, as a result of their valuable contributions and efficient teamwork, the four inventors were dubbed the “four horsemen” by their colleagues. By the end of his career, Campbell owned 30 patents.[3]
Major invention
In 1942, while working at ER&E, the “four horsemen” developed a landmark creation in the field of chemical engineering known as fluid catalytic cracking (FCC). This crucial conversion process enables petroleum refineries to obtain gasoline, aviation fuel, and olefinic gases through the conversion of hydrocarbon fractions at high temperatures. Specifically, the system consists of using high temperatures to break down large molecules of hydrogen carbon into smaller ones. This method was patented as the “Method of and Apparatus for Contacting solids and Gases Catalytic Cracking” number 2,451,804.[1] Fortune magazine claimed that this invention is “what many engineers consider the most revolutionary chemical-engineering achievement of the last 50 years.” In 1940, using the work of Campbell and his crew, M. W. Kellogg Company operated a pilot plant in the Exxon refinery located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Today, this technique is in wide-use and alone produces 500 million US gallons (1,900,000 m3) of gasoline per day, which is roughly half the world's demand.