Arnold Orville Beckman
Encyclopedia
Arnold Orville Beckman was an American chemist
who founded Beckman Instruments based on his 1934 invention of the pH meter
, a device for measuring acidity. He also funded the first transistor
company, thus giving rise to Silicon Valley
.
, the son of a blacksmith. He was curious about the world from an early age. When he was nine, Beckman found an old chemistry textbook and began trying out the experiments. His father encouraged his scientific interests by letting him convert a toolshed into a laboratory.
World War I
was still raging when Beckman turned 18, and so in August 1918, he enlisted in the United States Marines. After his basic training, he was sent to the Brooklyn
Navy Yard, to await transit to the war in Europe
. Fortunately for him, the war ended in November, 1918, and he did not have to fight in France
. By another stroke of luck, he missed being sent to Russia
to fight the Bolsheviks by one space in line. Instead, he spent that Thanksgiving
at the local YMCA
, where his table was served by 17-year-old Mabel Meinzer, who became his wife.
, where he earned his bachelor's degree in chemical engineering in 1922 and his master's degree
in physical chemistry in 1923. While attending the University of Illinois, he was initiated into the Gamma Alpha
Graduate Scientific Fraternity in December 1922. He joined the Delta Upsilon
Fraternity.
Beckman decided to go to Caltech for his doctorate. He stayed there for a year, but decided to return to New York and his fiancée, Mabel, who was working as a secretary for the Equitable Life Assurance Society
. He found a job with Western Electric
's engineering department, the precursor to the Bell Telephone Laboratories.
At Western Electric, Beckman developed quality control
programs for the manufacture of vacuum tube
s and learned about circuit design. It was here that Beckman discovered his interest in electronics
.
Beckman married Mabel on 10 June 1925. The following year, the couple moved back to California and Beckman resumed his studies at Caltech. He became interested in ultraviolet photolysis and worked with his doctoral advisor, Roscoe G. Dickinson
, on an instrument to find the energy of ultraviolet light. It worked by shining the ultraviolet light onto a thermocouple
, converting the incident heat into electricity, which drove a galvanometer
. After receiving his doctorate in 1928, Beckman was asked to stay on at Caltech as an instructor and then as a professor.
Beckman, and his family then built a home in Altadena, in the foothills and adjacent to Pasadena. They lived in Altadena for over twenty seven years raising their family.
During his time at Caltech, he worked at times with Linus Pauling
, who had the same doctoral advisor, Roscoe G. Dickinson
.
, Caltech's president, Beckman began accepting outside consulting work.
One of his clients wanted an ink that would not clog. Beckman's solution was to make it with butyric acid
, a very noxious substance. Because of this ingredient, no manufacturer wanted to manufacture it, so Beckman decided to make it himself. He hired two Caltech students to help him, and started the National Inking Appliance Company. At first, he tried marketing it as a way to re-ink typewriter ribbon
s, but this approach was not successful.
Another client, Sunkist
, was having problems with its own manufacturing process. The lemons that were not saleable as produce were made into pectin
or citric acid
, with sulfur dioxide
used as a preservative. Sunkist needed to know what the acidity of the product
was at any given time, and the methods then in use, such as litmus paper, were not working well.
Beckman invented the pH meter
in 1935. Originally called the acidimeter, the pH meter is an important device for measuring the pH of a solution.
to fund William Shockley
's research into semiconductor
technology. Because Shockley's aging mother lived in Palo Alto
, Shockley established the laboratory in nearby Mountain View, California. Thus, Silicon Valley
was born.
During his later years, Beckman lived in Corona del Mar near Newport Beach, California
. He was an active philanthropist
through the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation. To date, the Foundation has given more than 400 million dollars to various charities and organizations. Donations chiefly went to scientists and scientific causes as well as his alma maters. He is the namesake of The Beckman Institute
and the Beckman Quadrangle at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He is also the namesake of the Beckman Institute, Beckman Auditorium, Beckman Laboratory of Behavioral Sciences, and Beckman Laboratory of Chemical Synthesis at the California Institute of Technology.
Beckman and his family also sponsored the creation of the Arnold O. Beckman High School
in Irvine, California
.
Beckman's history and the unique Heritage Center is located at the Beckman Coulter headquarters in Fullerton, California
.
He was elected a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
in 1976. Beckman was inducted into the Junior Achievement U.S. Business Hall of Fame in 1985. In 1987, he was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame
. Beckman was awarded the Public Welfare Medal
from the National Academy of Sciences
in 1999.
Chemist
A chemist is a scientist trained in the study of chemistry. Chemists study the composition of matter and its properties such as density and acidity. Chemists carefully describe the properties they study in terms of quantities, with detail on the level of molecules and their component atoms...
who founded Beckman Instruments based on his 1934 invention of the pH meter
PH meter
A pH meter is an electronic instrument used for measuring the pH of a liquid...
, a device for measuring acidity. He also funded the first transistor
Transistor
A transistor is a semiconductor device used to amplify and switch electronic signals and power. It is composed of a semiconductor material with at least three terminals for connection to an external circuit. A voltage or current applied to one pair of the transistor's terminals changes the current...
company, thus giving rise to Silicon Valley
Silicon Valley
Silicon Valley is a term which refers to the southern part of the San Francisco Bay Area in Northern California in the United States. The region is home to many of the world's largest technology corporations...
.
Early life
Beckman was born in Cullom, IllinoisCullom, Illinois
Cullom is a village in Livingston County, Illinois, United States. The population was 563 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Cullom is located at ....
, the son of a blacksmith. He was curious about the world from an early age. When he was nine, Beckman found an old chemistry textbook and began trying out the experiments. His father encouraged his scientific interests by letting him convert a toolshed into a laboratory.
World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
was still raging when Beckman turned 18, and so in August 1918, he enlisted in the United States Marines. After his basic training, he was sent to the Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
Navy Yard, to await transit to the war in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. Fortunately for him, the war ended in November, 1918, and he did not have to fight in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. By another stroke of luck, he missed being sent to Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
to fight the Bolsheviks by one space in line. Instead, he spent that Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving Day is a holiday celebrated primarily in the United States and Canada. Thanksgiving is celebrated each year on the second Monday of October in Canada and on the fourth Thursday of November in the United States. In Canada, Thanksgiving falls on the same day as Columbus Day in the...
at the local YMCA
YMCA
The Young Men's Christian Association is a worldwide organization of more than 45 million members from 125 national federations affiliated through the World Alliance of YMCAs...
, where his table was served by 17-year-old Mabel Meinzer, who became his wife.
Education
Beckman attended the University of IllinoisUniversity of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
The University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign is a large public research-intensive university in the state of Illinois, United States. It is the flagship campus of the University of Illinois system...
, where he earned his bachelor's degree in chemical engineering in 1922 and his master's degree
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
in physical chemistry in 1923. While attending the University of Illinois, he was initiated into the Gamma Alpha
Gamma Alpha
The Gamma Alpha Graduate Scientific Society is a non-profit fraternal organization in the USA which fosters interdisciplinary dialogue among graduate students through its local chapters. The Society’s chapters have often been headquartered in chapter houses, akin to residential cooperatives,...
Graduate Scientific Fraternity in December 1922. He joined the Delta Upsilon
Delta Upsilon
Delta Upsilon is the sixth oldest international, all-male, college Greek-letter organization, and is the oldest non-secret fraternity in North America...
Fraternity.
Beckman decided to go to Caltech for his doctorate. He stayed there for a year, but decided to return to New York and his fiancée, Mabel, who was working as a secretary for the Equitable Life Assurance Society
AXA Equitable Life Insurance Company
AXA Equitable Life Insurance Company, formerly The Equitable Life Assurance Society of the United States, also known as The Equitable, was founded by Henry Baldwin Hyde in 1859. In 1991, AXA, a French insurance company, acquired majority control of The Equitable...
. He found a job with Western Electric
Western Electric
Western Electric Company was an American electrical engineering company, the manufacturing arm of AT&T from 1881 to 1995. It was the scene of a number of technological innovations and also some seminal developments in industrial management...
's engineering department, the precursor to the Bell Telephone Laboratories.
At Western Electric, Beckman developed quality control
Quality control
Quality control, or QC for short, is a process by which entities review the quality of all factors involved in production. This approach places an emphasis on three aspects:...
programs for the manufacture of vacuum tube
Vacuum tube
In electronics, a vacuum tube, electron tube , or thermionic valve , reduced to simply "tube" or "valve" in everyday parlance, is a device that relies on the flow of electric current through a vacuum...
s and learned about circuit design. It was here that Beckman discovered his interest in electronics
Electronics
Electronics is the branch of science, engineering and technology that deals with electrical circuits involving active electrical components such as vacuum tubes, transistors, diodes and integrated circuits, and associated passive interconnection technologies...
.
Beckman married Mabel on 10 June 1925. The following year, the couple moved back to California and Beckman resumed his studies at Caltech. He became interested in ultraviolet photolysis and worked with his doctoral advisor, Roscoe G. Dickinson
Roscoe G. Dickinson
Roscoe Gilkey Dickinson was a U.S. chemist, known primarily for his work on X-ray crystallography. As professor of chemistry at the California Institute of Technology , he was the doctoral advisor of Nobel laureate Linus Pauling and of Arnold O...
, on an instrument to find the energy of ultraviolet light. It worked by shining the ultraviolet light onto a thermocouple
Thermocouple
A thermocouple is a device consisting of two different conductors that produce a voltage proportional to a temperature difference between either end of the pair of conductors. Thermocouples are a widely used type of temperature sensor for measurement and control and can also be used to convert a...
, converting the incident heat into electricity, which drove a galvanometer
Galvanometer
A galvanometer is a type of ammeter: an instrument for detecting and measuring electric current. It is an analog electromechanical transducer that produces a rotary deflection of some type of pointer in response to electric current flowing through its coil in a magnetic field. .Galvanometers were...
. After receiving his doctorate in 1928, Beckman was asked to stay on at Caltech as an instructor and then as a professor.
Beckman, and his family then built a home in Altadena, in the foothills and adjacent to Pasadena. They lived in Altadena for over twenty seven years raising their family.
During his time at Caltech, he worked at times with Linus Pauling
Linus Pauling
Linus Carl Pauling was an American chemist, biochemist, peace activist, author, and educator. He was one of the most influential chemists in history and ranks among the most important scientists of the 20th century...
, who had the same doctoral advisor, Roscoe G. Dickinson
Roscoe G. Dickinson
Roscoe Gilkey Dickinson was a U.S. chemist, known primarily for his work on X-ray crystallography. As professor of chemistry at the California Institute of Technology , he was the doctoral advisor of Nobel laureate Linus Pauling and of Arnold O...
.
pH Meter
Beckman's interest in electronics made him very popular within the chemistry department, as he was very skilled in building measuring instruments. He also shared his expertise with glass-blowing by teaching classes in the machine shop. With the blessing of Robert MillikanRobert Millikan
Robert A. Millikan was an American experimental physicist, and Nobel laureate in physics for his measurement of the charge on the electron and for his work on the photoelectric effect. He served as president of Caltech from 1921 to 1945...
, Caltech's president, Beckman began accepting outside consulting work.
One of his clients wanted an ink that would not clog. Beckman's solution was to make it with butyric acid
Butyric acid
Butyric acid , also known under the systematic name butanoic acid, is a carboxylic acid with the structural formula CH3CH2CH2-COOH. Salts and esters of butyric acid are known as butyrates or butanoates...
, a very noxious substance. Because of this ingredient, no manufacturer wanted to manufacture it, so Beckman decided to make it himself. He hired two Caltech students to help him, and started the National Inking Appliance Company. At first, he tried marketing it as a way to re-ink typewriter ribbon
Typewriter ribbon
A typewriter ribbon is an expendable module serving the function of transferring pigment to paper in various devices for impact printing. Such ribbons were part of standard designs for hand- or motor-driven typewriters, teleprinters, stenotype machines, computer-driven printers and many mechanical...
s, but this approach was not successful.
Another client, Sunkist
Sunkist Growers, Incorporated
Sunkist Growers, Incorporated is a citrus grower's non-stock membership cooperative composed of 6,000 members from California and Arizona. It is headquartered in the Sherman Oaks district of Los Angeles.-History:...
, was having problems with its own manufacturing process. The lemons that were not saleable as produce were made into pectin
Pectin
Pectin is a structural heteropolysaccharide contained in the primary cell walls of terrestrial plants. It was first isolated and described in 1825 by Henri Braconnot...
or citric acid
Citric acid
Citric acid is a weak organic acid. It is a natural preservative/conservative and is also used to add an acidic, or sour, taste to foods and soft drinks...
, with sulfur dioxide
Sulfur dioxide
Sulfur dioxide is the chemical compound with the formula . It is released by volcanoes and in various industrial processes. Since coal and petroleum often contain sulfur compounds, their combustion generates sulfur dioxide unless the sulfur compounds are removed before burning the fuel...
used as a preservative. Sunkist needed to know what the acidity of the product
PH
In chemistry, pH is a measure of the acidity or basicity of an aqueous solution. Pure water is said to be neutral, with a pH close to 7.0 at . Solutions with a pH less than 7 are said to be acidic and solutions with a pH greater than 7 are basic or alkaline...
was at any given time, and the methods then in use, such as litmus paper, were not working well.
Beckman invented the pH meter
PH meter
A pH meter is an electronic instrument used for measuring the pH of a liquid...
in 1935. Originally called the acidimeter, the pH meter is an important device for measuring the pH of a solution.
Transistor
In 1955, Beckman established the Shockley Semiconductor LaboratoryShockley Semiconductor Laboratory
Shockley Semiconductor Laboratory, the primary lab of the Shockley Transistor Company, was the first company to work on silicon semiconductor devices in what came to be known as Silicon Valley. It was purchased by Clevite in 1960, and officially closed shortly after being sold to ITT in 1968...
to fund William Shockley
William Shockley
William Bradford Shockley Jr. was an American physicist and inventor. Along with John Bardeen and Walter Houser Brattain, Shockley co-invented the transistor, for which all three were awarded the 1956 Nobel Prize in Physics.Shockley's attempts to commercialize a new transistor design in the 1950s...
's research into semiconductor
Semiconductor
A semiconductor is a material with electrical conductivity due to electron flow intermediate in magnitude between that of a conductor and an insulator. This means a conductivity roughly in the range of 103 to 10−8 siemens per centimeter...
technology. Because Shockley's aging mother lived in Palo Alto
Palo Alto, California
Palo Alto is a California charter city located in the northwest corner of Santa Clara County, in the San Francisco Bay Area of California, United States. The city shares its borders with East Palo Alto, Mountain View, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Stanford, Portola Valley, and Menlo Park. It is...
, Shockley established the laboratory in nearby Mountain View, California. Thus, Silicon Valley
Silicon Valley
Silicon Valley is a term which refers to the southern part of the San Francisco Bay Area in Northern California in the United States. The region is home to many of the world's largest technology corporations...
was born.
During his later years, Beckman lived in Corona del Mar near Newport Beach, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. He was an active philanthropist
Philanthropy
Philanthropy etymologically means "the love of humanity"—love in the sense of caring for, nourishing, developing, or enhancing; humanity in the sense of "what it is to be human," or "human potential." In modern practical terms, it is "private initiatives for public good, focusing on quality of...
through the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation. To date, the Foundation has given more than 400 million dollars to various charities and organizations. Donations chiefly went to scientists and scientific causes as well as his alma maters. He is the namesake of The Beckman Institute
The Beckman Institute
The Beckman Institute is an interdisciplinary-research institute named after scientist and philanthropist Arnold O. Beckman . It is famous for imaging and other research...
and the Beckman Quadrangle at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He is also the namesake of the Beckman Institute, Beckman Auditorium, Beckman Laboratory of Behavioral Sciences, and Beckman Laboratory of Chemical Synthesis at the California Institute of Technology.
Beckman and his family also sponsored the creation of the Arnold O. Beckman High School
Arnold O. Beckman High School
Arnold O. Beckman High School is a mid-sized public school in Irvine, California, serving grades 9 through 12. The $69-million facility was opened on August 30, 2004. It was named after Arnold O. Beckman, a scientist, chemist, and philanthropist. The school is in the Tustin Unified School District...
in Irvine, California
Irvine, California
Irvine is a suburban incorporated city in Orange County, California, United States. It is a planned city, mainly developed by the Irvine Company since the 1960s. Formally incorporated on December 28, 1971, the city has a population of 212,375 as of the 2010 census. However, the California...
.
Beckman's history and the unique Heritage Center is located at the Beckman Coulter headquarters in Fullerton, California
Fullerton, California
Fullerton is a city located in northern Orange County, California. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 135,161.It was founded in 1887 by George and Edward Amerige and named for George H. Fullerton, who secured the land on behalf of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway...
.
He was elected a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
American Academy of Arts and Sciences
The American Academy of Arts and Sciences is an independent policy research center that conducts multidisciplinary studies of complex and emerging problems. The Academy’s elected members are leaders in the academic disciplines, the arts, business, and public affairs.James Bowdoin, John Adams, and...
in 1976. Beckman was inducted into the Junior Achievement U.S. Business Hall of Fame in 1985. In 1987, he was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame
National Inventors Hall of Fame
The National Inventors Hall of Fame is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to recognizing, honoring and encouraging invention and creativity through the administration of its programs. The Hall of Fame honors the men and women responsible for the great technological advances that make human,...
. Beckman was awarded the Public Welfare Medal
Public Welfare Medal
The Public Welfare Medal is awarded by the U.S. National Academy of Sciences "in recognition of distinguished contributions in the application of science to the public welfare." It is the most prestigious honor conferred by the Academy...
from the National Academy of Sciences
United States National Academy of Sciences
The National Academy of Sciences is a corporation in the United States whose members serve pro bono as "advisers to the nation on science, engineering, and medicine." As a national academy, new members of the organization are elected annually by current members, based on their distinguished and...
in 1999.
Additional information
- Fairchild SemiconductorFairchild SemiconductorFairchild Semiconductor International, Inc. is an American semiconductor company based in San Jose, California. Founded in 1957, it was a pioneer in transistor and integrated circuit manufacturing...
(a more detailed history of Beckman's role in the founding of Silicon Valley) - Arnold O. Beckman High SchoolArnold O. Beckman High SchoolArnold O. Beckman High School is a mid-sized public school in Irvine, California, serving grades 9 through 12. The $69-million facility was opened on August 30, 2004. It was named after Arnold O. Beckman, a scientist, chemist, and philanthropist. The school is in the Tustin Unified School District...
was named after him
External links
- His company's website
- His philanthropic foundation's website
- Heritage Center website
- Obituary from Caltech's Engineering and Science Quarterly
- Beckman/Coulter - Dr. Arnold O. Beckman Memorial
- Arnold O. Beckman High School Website