Malcolm Renfrew
Encyclopedia
Malcolm MacKenzie Renfrew (born October 12, 1910) is an American polymer
chemist
, inventor, and professor emeritus at the University of Idaho
in the Moscow
, Idaho
. Renfrew Hall, the university's chemistry building, was named for him in 1985.
He is noted for his contribution to the development of Teflon, including the first paper on the subject. In 1946 he spoke on behalf of DuPont
at the ACS
meeting at which Teflon was announced.
, Washington, and moved with his family at age 12 to Potlatch
, Idaho, in 1923. He graduated from Potlatch High School in in 1928 and attended the University of Idaho
in nearby Moscow
, where he joined the Phi Gamma Delta
fraternity and wrote for The Argonaut, the student newspaper. Originally interested in journalism, he switched his major to chemistry
and graduated with a B.S.
in 1932 and an M.S.
in 1934. He then traveled to the Midwest to continue his studies and earned a Ph.D.
from the University of Minnesota
in 1938.
in New Jersey
, where he produced a number of patents on polymethyl methacrylate, including one on photopolymerization, material for tooth repair, as well as epoxy resins and the first method of synthesis of poly(tetrafluoroethylene) in a form which was suitable for the commercial production of Teflon.
After further industrial experience with General Mills
Company in Minneapolis and Spencer Kellogg & Sons in Buffalo
, he returned west in 1959 to his alma mater
to head the UI Department of Physical Science. This was split into separate departments of physics and chemistry in 1967, with Renfrew as the Head of Chemistry, a position he retained until 1973; he retired in 1976 and became professor emeritus.
. Well known for his research, Renfrew has been praised for his work on chemical safety and as an educator, both recognized in the ACS
1985 Chemical Health and Safety Award for "his publications and column on Chemical Safety in the Journal of Chemical Education
". In 2006 he received the Distinguished Science Communicator award.
Renfrew is also an accomplished artist: an exhibition of his paintings was held in Moscow City Hall in November–December 2010.
His 100th birthday, October 12, 2010, was declared as "Malcolm M. Renfrew Day" in the State of Idaho by Governor Butch Otter.
Part of the celebration was the rededication of Renfrew Hall, the chemistry building named for him a quarter century earlier. Opened in 1965 as the Physical Sciences Building ("Phy-Sci"), it was renamed "Renfrew Hall" in October 1985 for his 75th birthday.
, Washington; at the time of her death at age 96, they had been married for over 71 years.
Renfrew is an Elder
of the Presbyterian Church
and plays the trombone
.
Polymer
A polymer is a large molecule composed of repeating structural units. These subunits are typically connected by covalent chemical bonds...
chemist
Chemistry
Chemistry is the science of matter, especially its chemical reactions, but also its composition, structure and properties. Chemistry is concerned with atoms and their interactions with other atoms, and particularly with the properties of chemical bonds....
, inventor, and professor emeritus at the University of Idaho
University of Idaho
The University of Idaho is the State of Idaho's flagship and oldest public university, located in the rural city of Moscow in Latah County in the northern portion of the state...
in the Moscow
Moscow, Idaho
Moscow is a city in northern Idaho, situated along the Washington/Idaho border. It is the most populous city and county seat of Latah County and the home of the University of Idaho, the land grant institution and primary research university for the state...
, Idaho
Idaho
Idaho is a state in the Rocky Mountain area of the United States. The state's largest city and capital is Boise. Residents are called "Idahoans". Idaho was admitted to the Union on July 3, 1890, as the 43rd state....
. Renfrew Hall, the university's chemistry building, was named for him in 1985.
He is noted for his contribution to the development of Teflon, including the first paper on the subject. In 1946 he spoke on behalf of DuPont
DuPont
E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company , commonly referred to as DuPont, is an American chemical company that was founded in July 1802 as a gunpowder mill by Eleuthère Irénée du Pont. DuPont was the world's third largest chemical company based on market capitalization and ninth based on revenue in 2009...
at the ACS
American Chemical Society
The American Chemical Society is a scientific society based in the United States that supports scientific inquiry in the field of chemistry. Founded in 1876 at New York University, the ACS currently has more than 161,000 members at all degree-levels and in all fields of chemistry, chemical...
meeting at which Teflon was announced.
Early life
The son of an accountant, Renfrew was born October 12, 1910, in SpokaneSpokane
Spokane is a city in the U.S. state of Washington.Spokane may also refer to:*Spokane *Spokane River*Spokane, Missouri*Spokane Valley, Washington*Spokane County, Washington*Spokane-Coeur d'Alene-Paloos War*Spokane * USS Spokane...
, Washington, and moved with his family at age 12 to Potlatch
Potlatch, Idaho
Potlatch is a city in Latah County, Idaho, United States. The population was 791 at the 2000 census.-History:Potlatch was founded in 1905 as a company town by the Potlach Corporation. The townsite was chosen because of proximity to Potlatch Corporation's large holdings of western white pine on the...
, Idaho, in 1923. He graduated from Potlatch High School in in 1928 and attended the University of Idaho
University of Idaho
The University of Idaho is the State of Idaho's flagship and oldest public university, located in the rural city of Moscow in Latah County in the northern portion of the state...
in nearby Moscow
Moscow, Idaho
Moscow is a city in northern Idaho, situated along the Washington/Idaho border. It is the most populous city and county seat of Latah County and the home of the University of Idaho, the land grant institution and primary research university for the state...
, where he joined the Phi Gamma Delta
Phi Gamma Delta
The international fraternity of Phi Gamma Delta is a collegiate social fraternity with 120 chapters and 18 colonies across the United States and Canada. It was founded at Jefferson College, Pennsylvania, in 1848, and its headquarters are located in Lexington, Kentucky, USA...
fraternity and wrote for The Argonaut, the student newspaper. Originally interested in journalism, he switched his major to chemistry
Chemistry
Chemistry is the science of matter, especially its chemical reactions, but also its composition, structure and properties. Chemistry is concerned with atoms and their interactions with other atoms, and particularly with the properties of chemical bonds....
and graduated with a B.S.
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
in 1932 and an M.S.
Master of Science
A Master of Science is a postgraduate academic master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is typically studied for in the sciences including the social sciences.-Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay:...
in 1934. He then traveled to the Midwest to continue his studies and earned a Ph.D.
Ph.D.
A Ph.D. is a Doctor of Philosophy, an academic degree.Ph.D. may also refer to:* Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*Piled Higher and Deeper, a web comic strip*PhD: Phantasy Degree, a Korean comic series* PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
from the University of Minnesota
University of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities is a public research university located in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. It is the oldest and largest part of the University of Minnesota system and has the fourth-largest main campus student body in the United States, with 52,557...
in 1938.
Career
Renfrew then worked for DuPontDuPont
E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company , commonly referred to as DuPont, is an American chemical company that was founded in July 1802 as a gunpowder mill by Eleuthère Irénée du Pont. DuPont was the world's third largest chemical company based on market capitalization and ninth based on revenue in 2009...
in New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, where he produced a number of patents on polymethyl methacrylate, including one on photopolymerization, material for tooth repair, as well as epoxy resins and the first method of synthesis of poly(tetrafluoroethylene) in a form which was suitable for the commercial production of Teflon.
After further industrial experience with General Mills
General Mills
General Mills, Inc. is an American Fortune 500 corporation, primarily concerned with food products, which is headquartered in Golden Valley, Minnesota, a suburb of Minneapolis. The company markets many well-known brands, such as Betty Crocker, Yoplait, Colombo, Totinos, Jeno's, Pillsbury, Green...
Company in Minneapolis and Spencer Kellogg & Sons in Buffalo
Buffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
, he returned west in 1959 to his alma mater
Alma mater
Alma mater , pronounced ), was used in ancient Rome as a title for various mother goddesses, especially Ceres or Cybele, and in Christianity for the Virgin Mary.-General term:...
to head the UI Department of Physical Science. This was split into separate departments of physics and chemistry in 1967, with Renfrew as the Head of Chemistry, a position he retained until 1973; he retired in 1976 and became professor emeritus.
Honors
In 1976 he was made a Fellow of the American Chemical SocietyAmerican Chemical Society
The American Chemical Society is a scientific society based in the United States that supports scientific inquiry in the field of chemistry. Founded in 1876 at New York University, the ACS currently has more than 161,000 members at all degree-levels and in all fields of chemistry, chemical...
. Well known for his research, Renfrew has been praised for his work on chemical safety and as an educator, both recognized in the ACS
American Chemical Society
The American Chemical Society is a scientific society based in the United States that supports scientific inquiry in the field of chemistry. Founded in 1876 at New York University, the ACS currently has more than 161,000 members at all degree-levels and in all fields of chemistry, chemical...
1985 Chemical Health and Safety Award for "his publications and column on Chemical Safety in the Journal of Chemical Education
Journal of Chemical Education
The Journal of Chemical Education is a monthly peer-reviewed academic journal available in both print and electronic versions. It is published by the Division of Chemical Education of the American Chemical Society and was established in 1924...
". In 2006 he received the Distinguished Science Communicator award.
Renfrew is also an accomplished artist: an exhibition of his paintings was held in Moscow City Hall in November–December 2010.
His 100th birthday, October 12, 2010, was declared as "Malcolm M. Renfrew Day" in the State of Idaho by Governor Butch Otter.
Part of the celebration was the rededication of Renfrew Hall, the chemistry building named for him a quarter century earlier. Opened in 1965 as the Physical Sciences Building ("Phy-Sci"), it was renamed "Renfrew Hall" in October 1985 for his 75th birthday.
Personal
Shortly after gaining his doctorate, he married Carol Joy Campbell (September 19, 1913 – January 12, 2010), on June 26, 1938. She was a 1935 B.S. economics graduate of the University of Idaho from RosaliaRosalia, Washington
Rosalia is a town in Whitman County, Washington, U.S.A. It is an agricultural community in the Palouse region, at an elevation of 2238 feet above sea level. Its population was 550 at the 2010 census.-History:...
, Washington; at the time of her death at age 96, they had been married for over 71 years.
Renfrew is an Elder
Elder (Christianity)
An elder in Christianity is a person valued for his wisdom who accordingly holds a particular position of responsibility in a Christian group. In some Christian traditions an elder is a clergy person who usually serves a local church or churches and who has been ordained to a ministry of Word,...
of the Presbyterian Church
Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)
The Presbyterian Church , or PC, is a mainline Protestant Christian denomination in the United States. Part of the Reformed tradition, it is the largest Presbyterian denomination in the U.S...
and plays the trombone
Trombone
The trombone is a musical instrument in the brass family. Like all brass instruments, sound is produced when the player’s vibrating lips cause the air column inside the instrument to vibrate...
.
External links
- University of Idaho - Give to Idaho - photo of Malcolm and Carol Renfrew
- Renfrews - photo of Carol and Malcolm Renfrew
- potlatchblogspot - visit with Malcolm Renfrew
- boltonsociety.net - Oral History: Malcolm Renfrew
- Chemical Heritage Foundation Malcolm M. Renfrew
- University of Idaho - College of Science - Malcom Renfrew turns 100
- Here We Have Idaho - Spring 2011 - "Mr. Chemistry Celebrates A Century" - p. 6-11