William Hultz Walker
William Hultz Walker (April 7, 1869 – July 9, 1934) was an American chemist and professor. He was born in
Significance
William H. Walker, as he is commonly referenced, was one of the pioneers of chemical engineering practice and principles in the United States. He was the first graduate in chemistry at
Although he was trained as a chemist, and worked as a chemistry educator, Dr. Walker was extremely influential in developing modern chemical engineering discipline. He is rightfully considered one of the founders of that discipline.
Professional life
Dr. Walker and
According to MIT, its department of chemistry first awarded seven bachelor's degrees in chemical engineering in 1891. These grew out of the development of Course X, which combined mechanical engineering with industrial chemistry.[3] In 1917 founded the School of Chemical Engineering Practice.[1] During this time, Dr. Walker remained in the department of chemistry. In 1920, MIT formed the department of chemical engineering, chaired by Warren K. Lewis. In 1924, MIT awarded its first Ph.D. degrees in chemical engineering.[3]
Walker collaborated with Warren K. Lewis and W. H. McAdams in writing the first American textbook of chemical engineering, Principles of Chemical Engineering, published in 1924. This incorporated the concept of unit operations, and became the standard textbook for chemical engineering for decades.[4]
AIChE William H. Walker Award
The American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) has commemorated Dr. Walker by creating the William H. Walker Award for Excellence in Contributions to Chemical Engineering Literature, described as follows on the AIChE website:
- "The award is presented to a member of AIChE who has made an outstanding contribution to chemical engineering literature. The contribution may consist of a review, a history of the development of a process, a theoretical contribution, a research report, or other material of interest and importance to the chemical engineering profession. The recipient must be the author or co-author of an outstanding work in chemical engineering."[5]
The award has been presented every year from 1936 until the present.
Personal life
Walker was born in Pittsburgh to David H. and Anna Blair Walker on April 7, 1869. He died of a heart attack on July 9, 1934, while driving from Bridgton, Maine to Boston, Massachusetts.[6]
References
- ^ a b "Penn State Engineering: Chemical Engineering - History at Penn State". www.che.psu.edu.
- ^ a b "Arthur D. Little, Inc.: Exhibits: Institute Archives & Special Collections: MIT". libraries.mit.edu. Retrieved March 6, 2010.
- ^ a b MIT Department of Chemical Engineering, "History of Chemical Engineering at MIT" Retrieved April 6, 2010
- ^ The Encyclopedia of Earth. "Walker, William H. Accessed April 4, 2010.
- ^ "William H. Walker Award for Excellence in Contributions to Chemical Engineering Literature". www.aiche.org. 28 March 2012.
- ^ Bradley Dewey. William Hultz Walker (1869-1934). Proceedings of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, Vol. 69, No. 13 (Feb., 1935), pp. 556-559