Thomas H. Chilton
Encyclopedia
Thomas H. Chilton was a chemical engineer
and professor. He is considered a founder of modern chemical engineering
practice and lectured widely around the world. He received numerous awards, including an honorary doctorate
and the President's Certificate of Merit
. In 1994, DuPont
named a laboratory in Wilmington, Delaware
for him.
, son of a Methodist Episcopal clergyman, poet and hymnodist, Claudius Lysias Chilton, and Mabel Pierce Chilton. He was given the middle name Hamilton to honor a friend of the family. Chilton grew up in Montgomery, Alabama
with the peculiar distinction of being the ninth child of a ninth child of a ninth child. Two older brothers founded Paragon Press and put him to work at a printing press, setting type
by hand, which taught him to be attentive to detail. He attended Sidney Lanier High School in Montgomery, where he heard an employee of Thomas Edison
explain how to make synthetic phonograph records. This sparked an interest in chemical engineering.
Chilton attended the University of Alabama
for two semesters, quitting to earn money for tuition. He moved to New York City in 1917, moving in with his eldest brother. He attended Columbia University
, graduating in 1922 with a degree in chemical engineering. He began work as a research chemist in New York, receiving his first patent. In 1925, he joined DuPont
in Wilmington, Delaware
, beginning what became a 35-year career leading its chemical research. Chilton began his career just as chemical engineering was becoming established as its own discipline and he is considered to be one of the founders of modern chemical engineering practice. He and a colleague developed the Chilton-Colburn analogy
, which became a fundamental principle of chemical engineering. Chilton was known for his work on fluid flow, heat transfer
, distillation
and absorption. He began lecturing at universities in 1937.
Chilton worked at DuPont from 1925–1959, leading its chemical research. During World War II
, he worked with the Manhattan Project
and he was involved with the original design of the first atomic energy
plant, the Hanford Engineer Works. At the invitation of Enrico Fermi
, Chilton was among the select group of scientists to witness the first self-sustaining nuclear reaction
at Stagg Field
on December 2, 1942. After the war, he became involved in the Savannah River Plant, then the largest nuclear power
plant ever built by the Atomic Energy Commission
.
Upon his retirement, Chilton, who was known for being very particular about punctuation, was presented by his co-workers with a book that was entirely bereft of punctuation until the back of the book, where there was a page of periods, commas, semicolon
s, colons and other punctuation, accompanied by an invitation for him to insert them at his discretion.
Chilton was active in the American Institute of Chemical Engineers
and served as its president in 1951. Following his career at DuPont, Chilton was a visiting professor and lecturer all over the world, including the University of Kyoto and Nagoya University
, where he was a Fulbright lecturer; the University of New South Wales
in Australia; and universities in Toulouse
and Nancy, France, again as a Fulbright lecturer. He also lectured at the Birla Institute of Technology
in Pilani
, India and the University of Natal
in South Africa
. His stints at American universities included the University of California, Berkeley
, Georgia Tech, the University of Delaware
, the University of Washington
, the University of Massachusetts
and the University of Alabama.
Chilton died in Bonn
, Germany while traveling with his second wife.
Doctor of Science
from the University of Delaware
in 1943. He received several awards from his alma mater
, the Charles Frederick Chandler Medal in 1939, the Egleston Medal in 1942 and in 1950, the University Medal
, which was presented to him by President Dwight D. Eisenhower
. In 1948, he received the President's Certificate of Merit
for his contributions to the National Defense Research Committee
. Chilton was posthumously awarded the Lavoisier Medal
for excellence. In 1994, the building where he had conducted much of his work for DuPont was named after him.
. He had a collection of photographic slides from his world travels. As a boy Tom began the hobby of collecting automobile license plates. Eventually, he was recognized as having the world's largest collection (some 4,500) from all over the United States and around the world. In 1967, an article about this amazing collection appeared in Sports Illustrated
. His first wife was Cherridah McLemore and after her death, he married Elizabeth C. Rhinehart, who, along with her late husband, had been friends of the Chiltons for decades.
Thomas H. Chilton is a grandson of William Parish Chilton, a member of the congress of the Confederate States of America
and the Chief Justice
of the Alabama Supreme Court
. In 1967 he published a genealogical reference called "Antecedents and Descendants of William Parish Chilton, 1810 - 1871". " Bart Chilton
, a commissioner on the Commodity Futures Trading Commission
, is his grandson.
Chemical engineer
In the field of engineering, a chemical engineer is the profession in which one works principally in the chemical industry to convert basic raw materials into a variety of products, and deals with the design and operation of plants and equipment to perform such work...
and professor. He is considered a founder of modern chemical engineering
Chemical engineering
Chemical engineering is the branch of engineering that deals with physical science , and life sciences with mathematics and economics, to the process of converting raw materials or chemicals into more useful or valuable forms...
practice and lectured widely around the world. He received numerous awards, including an honorary doctorate
Doctorate
A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder to teach in a specific field, A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder...
and the President's Certificate of Merit
President's Certificate of Merit
The President's Certificate of Merit was created June 6, 1946 by Executive Order 9734 signed by US President Harry Truman, "for award by the President or at his direction to any civilian who on or after December 7, 1941 , has performed a meritorious act or service which has aided the United States...
. In 1994, 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...
named a laboratory in Wilmington, Delaware
Wilmington, Delaware
Wilmington is the largest city in the state of Delaware, United States, and is located at the confluence of the Christina River and Brandywine Creek, near where the Christina flows into the Delaware River. It is the county seat of New Castle County and one of the major cities in the Delaware Valley...
for him.
Biography
Thomas Hamilton Chilton was born in Greensboro, AlabamaGreensboro, Alabama
Greensboro is a city in Hale County, Alabama, United States. At the 2000 census the population was 2,731. The city is the county seat of Hale County. It is part of the Tuscaloosa, Alabama Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
, son of a Methodist Episcopal clergyman, poet and hymnodist, Claudius Lysias Chilton, and Mabel Pierce Chilton. He was given the middle name Hamilton to honor a friend of the family. Chilton grew up in Montgomery, Alabama
Montgomery, Alabama
Montgomery is the capital of the U.S. state of Alabama, and is the county seat of Montgomery County. It is located on the Alabama River southeast of the center of the state, in the Gulf Coastal Plain. As of the 2010 census, Montgomery had a population of 205,764 making it the second-largest city...
with the peculiar distinction of being the ninth child of a ninth child of a ninth child. Two older brothers founded Paragon Press and put him to work at a printing press, setting type
Typesetting
Typesetting is the composition of text by means of types.Typesetting requires the prior process of designing a font and storing it in some manner...
by hand, which taught him to be attentive to detail. He attended Sidney Lanier High School in Montgomery, where he heard an employee of Thomas Edison
Thomas Edison
Thomas Alva Edison was an American inventor and businessman. He developed many devices that greatly influenced life around the world, including the phonograph, the motion picture camera, and a long-lasting, practical electric light bulb. In addition, he created the world’s first industrial...
explain how to make synthetic phonograph records. This sparked an interest in chemical engineering.
Chilton attended the University of Alabama
University of Alabama
The University of Alabama is a public coeducational university located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, United States....
for two semesters, quitting to earn money for tuition. He moved to New York City in 1917, moving in with his eldest brother. He attended Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
, graduating in 1922 with a degree in chemical engineering. He began work as a research chemist in New York, receiving his first patent. In 1925, he joined 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...
in Wilmington, Delaware
Wilmington, Delaware
Wilmington is the largest city in the state of Delaware, United States, and is located at the confluence of the Christina River and Brandywine Creek, near where the Christina flows into the Delaware River. It is the county seat of New Castle County and one of the major cities in the Delaware Valley...
, beginning what became a 35-year career leading its chemical research. Chilton began his career just as chemical engineering was becoming established as its own discipline and he is considered to be one of the founders of modern chemical engineering practice. He and a colleague developed the Chilton-Colburn analogy
Chilton and Colburn J-factor analogy
Chilton–Colburn J-factor analogy is a successful and widely used analogy from heat, momentum, and mass transfer analogies. The basic mechanisms and mathematics of heat, mass, and momentum transport are essentially the same...
, which became a fundamental principle of chemical engineering. Chilton was known for his work on fluid flow, heat transfer
Heat transfer
Heat transfer is a discipline of thermal engineering that concerns the exchange of thermal energy from one physical system to another. Heat transfer is classified into various mechanisms, such as heat conduction, convection, thermal radiation, and phase-change transfer...
, distillation
Distillation
Distillation is a method of separating mixtures based on differences in volatilities of components in a boiling liquid mixture. Distillation is a unit operation, or a physical separation process, and not a chemical reaction....
and absorption. He began lecturing at universities in 1937.
Chilton worked at DuPont from 1925–1959, leading its chemical research. During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, he worked with the Manhattan Project
Manhattan Project
The Manhattan Project was a research and development program, led by the United States with participation from the United Kingdom and Canada, that produced the first atomic bomb during World War II. From 1942 to 1946, the project was under the direction of Major General Leslie Groves of the US Army...
and he was involved with the original design of the first atomic energy
Atomic energy
Atomic energy is energy produced by atoms.*Nuclear energy, the energy resulting from potential differences in the nuclear force*Nuclear reaction, a process in which nuclei or nuclear particles interact, resulting in products different from the initial ones; see also nuclear fission and nuclear...
plant, the Hanford Engineer Works. At the invitation of Enrico Fermi
Enrico Fermi
Enrico Fermi was an Italian-born, naturalized American physicist particularly known for his work on the development of the first nuclear reactor, Chicago Pile-1, and for his contributions to the development of quantum theory, nuclear and particle physics, and statistical mechanics...
, Chilton was among the select group of scientists to witness the first self-sustaining nuclear reaction
Nuclear reaction
In nuclear physics and nuclear chemistry, a nuclear reaction is semantically considered to be the process in which two nuclei, or else a nucleus of an atom and a subatomic particle from outside the atom, collide to produce products different from the initial particles...
at Stagg Field
Stagg Field
Amos Alonzo Stagg Field is the name of two different football fields for the University of Chicago. The earliest Stagg Field is probably best remembered for its role in a landmark scientific achievement by Enrico Fermi during the Manhattan Project. The site of the first nuclear reaction received...
on December 2, 1942. After the war, he became involved in the Savannah River Plant, then the largest nuclear power
Nuclear power
Nuclear power is the use of sustained nuclear fission to generate heat and electricity. Nuclear power plants provide about 6% of the world's energy and 13–14% of the world's electricity, with the U.S., France, and Japan together accounting for about 50% of nuclear generated electricity...
plant ever built by the Atomic Energy Commission
United States Atomic Energy Commission
The United States Atomic Energy Commission was an agency of the United States government established after World War II by Congress to foster and control the peace time development of atomic science and technology. President Harry S...
.
Upon his retirement, Chilton, who was known for being very particular about punctuation, was presented by his co-workers with a book that was entirely bereft of punctuation until the back of the book, where there was a page of periods, commas, semicolon
Semicolon
The semicolon is a punctuation mark with several uses. The Italian printer Aldus Manutius the Elder established the practice of using the semicolon to separate words of opposed meaning and to indicate interdependent statements. "The first printed semicolon was the work of ... Aldus Manutius"...
s, colons and other punctuation, accompanied by an invitation for him to insert them at his discretion.
Chilton was active in the American Institute of Chemical Engineers
American Institute of Chemical Engineers
The American Institute of Chemical Engineers is a professional organization for chemical engineers.AIChE was established in 1908 with the purpose of establishing chemical engineers as a profession independent from chemists and mechanical engineers.As of 2010, AIChE had over 40,000 members,...
and served as its president in 1951. Following his career at DuPont, Chilton was a visiting professor and lecturer all over the world, including the University of Kyoto and Nagoya University
Nagoya University
Nagoya University is one of the most prestigious universities in Japan. It can be seen in the several rankings such as shown below.-General Rankings:...
, where he was a Fulbright lecturer; the University of New South Wales
University of New South Wales
The University of New South Wales , is a research-focused university based in Kensington, a suburb in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
in Australia; and universities in Toulouse
Toulouse
Toulouse is a city in the Haute-Garonne department in southwestern FranceIt lies on the banks of the River Garonne, 590 km away from Paris and half-way between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea...
and Nancy, France, again as a Fulbright lecturer. He also lectured at the Birla Institute of Technology
Birla Institute of Technology
Birla Institute of Technology, Mesra , is an autonomous engineering and technology oriented institute of higher education located in Ranchi, Jharkhand, India...
in Pilani
Pilani
Pilani is a small town situated in the Shekhawati region of Rajasthan. It is in the Jhunjhunu district in Rajasthan, India. It notable for being the home of a large number of education institutes for its size.-Etymology:...
, India and the University of Natal
University of Natal
The University of Natal was a university in Natal, and later KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa, that is now part of the University of KwaZulu-Natal. It was founded in 1910 as the Natal University College in Pietermaritzburg, and expanded to include a campus in Durban in 1931. In 1947, the university...
in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
. His stints at American universities included the University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
, Georgia Tech, the University of Delaware
University of Delaware
The university is organized into seven colleges:* College of Agriculture and Natural Resources* College of Arts and Sciences* Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics* College of Earth, Ocean and Environment* College of Education and Human Development...
, the University of Washington
University of Washington
University of Washington is a public research university, founded in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, United States. The UW is the largest university in the Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, with its largest campus in the University...
, the University of Massachusetts
University of Massachusetts
This article relates to the statewide university system. For the flagship campus often referred to as "UMass", see University of Massachusetts Amherst...
and the University of Alabama.
Chilton died in Bonn
Bonn
Bonn is the 19th largest city in Germany. Located in the Cologne/Bonn Region, about 25 kilometres south of Cologne on the river Rhine in the State of North Rhine-Westphalia, it was the capital of West Germany from 1949 to 1990 and the official seat of government of united Germany from 1990 to 1999....
, Germany while traveling with his second wife.
Awards and recognition
Chilton was awarded an honoraryHonorary degree
An honorary degree or a degree honoris causa is an academic degree for which a university has waived the usual requirements, such as matriculation, residence, study, and the passing of examinations...
Doctor of Science
Doctor of Science
Doctor of Science , usually abbreviated Sc.D., D.Sc., S.D. or Dr.Sc., is an academic research degree awarded in a number of countries throughout the world. In some countries Doctor of Science is the name used for the standard doctorate in the sciences, elsewhere the Sc.D...
from the University of Delaware
University of Delaware
The university is organized into seven colleges:* College of Agriculture and Natural Resources* College of Arts and Sciences* Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics* College of Earth, Ocean and Environment* College of Education and Human Development...
in 1943. He received several awards from 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:...
, the Charles Frederick Chandler Medal in 1939, the Egleston Medal in 1942 and in 1950, the University Medal
University Medal
A University Medal is one of several different types of awards, bestowed by universities upon outstanding students or members of staff. The usage and status of university medals differ between countries.-As award on graduation:...
, which was presented to him by President Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower was the 34th President of the United States, from 1953 until 1961. He was a five-star general in the United States Army...
. In 1948, he received the President's Certificate of Merit
President's Certificate of Merit
The President's Certificate of Merit was created June 6, 1946 by Executive Order 9734 signed by US President Harry Truman, "for award by the President or at his direction to any civilian who on or after December 7, 1941 , has performed a meritorious act or service which has aided the United States...
for his contributions to the National Defense Research Committee
National Defense Research Committee
The National Defense Research Committee was an organization created "to coordinate, supervise, and conduct scientific research on the problems underlying the development, production, and use of mechanisms and devices of warfare" in the United States from June 27, 1940 until June 28, 1941...
. Chilton was posthumously awarded the Lavoisier Medal
Lavoisier Medal
A Lavoisier Medal is an award made by any of a number of bodies, for achievements in chemical related disciplines. The award is named for Antoine Lavoisier, considered by some to be a father of modern chemistry....
for excellence. In 1994, the building where he had conducted much of his work for DuPont was named after him.
Personal
Chilton spoke fluent French and enjoyed classical musicClassical music
Classical music is the art music produced in, or rooted in, the traditions of Western liturgical and secular music, encompassing a broad period from roughly the 11th century to present times...
. He had a collection of photographic slides from his world travels. As a boy Tom began the hobby of collecting automobile license plates. Eventually, he was recognized as having the world's largest collection (some 4,500) from all over the United States and around the world. In 1967, an article about this amazing collection appeared in Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
. His first wife was Cherridah McLemore and after her death, he married Elizabeth C. Rhinehart, who, along with her late husband, had been friends of the Chiltons for decades.
Thomas H. Chilton is a grandson of William Parish Chilton, a member of the congress of the Confederate States of America
Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
and the Chief Justice
Chief Justice
The Chief Justice in many countries is the name for the presiding member of a Supreme Court in Commonwealth or other countries with an Anglo-Saxon justice system based on English common law, such as the Supreme Court of Canada, the Constitutional Court of South Africa, the Court of Final Appeal of...
of the Alabama Supreme Court
Alabama Supreme Court
The Supreme Court of Alabama is the highest court in the state of Alabama. The court consists of an elected Chief Justice and eight elected Associate Justices. Each justice is elected in partisan elections for staggered six year terms. The Governor of Alabama may fill vacancies when they occur...
. In 1967 he published a genealogical reference called "Antecedents and Descendants of William Parish Chilton, 1810 - 1871". " Bart Chilton
Bart Chilton
Bart Chilton is a commissioner on the United States Commodity Futures Trading Commission . Chilton has been a vocal supporter of position limits in commodities markets...
, a commissioner on the Commodity Futures Trading Commission
Commodity Futures Trading Commission
The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission is an independent agency of the United States government that regulates futures and option markets....
, is his grandson.
Publications
- Mass transfer (absorption) coefficients: Prediction from data on heat transfer and fluid friction (1934)
- Distillation and absorption in packed columns: Convenient design and correlation method (1935)
- The manufacture of nitric acid by the oxidation of ammonia: The Du Pont pressure process (1960)
- Antecedents and descendants of William Parish Chilton: 1810-1871 (1967)
- Strong Water Nitric Acid: Sources and Methods of Manufacture, and Uses, MIT Press (1968) ASIN B001S9AHFK