Gaston DuBois
1
An American Contemporary Gaston DuBois A. D. MCFADYEN JL HE story of Gaston Du Bois follows tin- pattern of the Horatio Alger success stones. It is the story of a young man who left his native Switzerland to join a sprouting chemical concern in America, and whose work has contributed markedly in the development of chemical industry in his adopted land. It is the story of a man who began at $75 a month with a small manufacturer of saccharin, it has witnessed the company's budding and flowering into une of the major chemical organizations of the world, based upon his technical guidance and labors. DuBois was born in Locle, Switzerland, Aug. 9, 18S0. After receiving his early education there, he attended the Federal Polytechnic Institute of Zurich, where he was graduated in 1903. He followed this with courses at the Technische Hoch- schule, in Dresden. While at the Zurich Polytechnic Institute, DuBois had an American roommate, Ralph Wright—a happenstance that was to set the stage for his brilliant act. For the story goes that on his return to America, Wright went to work at the infant Monsanto Chemical Works, in St. Louis. About this time John F. Queeny, founder of Monsanto, was preparing for a trip to Europe to in- vestigate processes for the manufacture of vanillin with the view of adding that as an auxiliary product to his main item, sac- charin. Anticipating his difficulties with European languages, Queeny asked Wright to recommend an interpreter. DuBois was the answer by reason of his pro- ficiency both as a chemist and as a linguist, and he was engaged, sight unseen. On his return from Europe, Queeny further sur- veyed the vanillin prospects and decided that the time was ripe to build a plant here in America to manufacture this product. He dispatched an offer to DuBois of $75 a month to supervise construction and operation of the plant. DuBois arrived in St. Louis in April, 1904—the year of the World's Fair. Though the fair ground was only a short distance awaj-, DuBois was so involved with his new assignment that he visited the fair only once—the afternoon of the Fourth of July. "The city", says DuBois, "was then dirty, muddy, smoky, and very ugly.*' Wright had selected a room for him within walking distance of the plant, in order to save carfare. The gas-lit room had only one window which opened upon the brick wall of another house three feet away. The young chemist came prepared to work. He brought with him his books, a platinum crucible, an analytical balance, hydrometers, and an ordinary thermom- eter. "We used to go to the school of pharmacy and borrow thermometers", DuBois reminisces. "In those days we borrowed almost everything- but we got along pretty well." To install a vanillin plant was no easy task, but in a short time the plant was making vanillin by oxidizing acetyl iso- eugenol with bichro- mate. To make acetyl isoeugenol, DuBois used acetic anhydride—one of the earliest uses of this important an- hydride in this country. Though the years have brought modifications and newer processes, the type of the first still designed by DuBois is the basic type in use today. In like manner, DuBois successfully de- veloped the first commercial production in this country of one product after another, including caffeine, iron by the hydrogen reduction method, phenacetin, glycero- phosphates, bismuth, and chloral hydrate. The problems created by the impact of World War I upon American chemical in- dustry varied according to the products of the individual companies. The primary problem at Monsanto, as with many others, pertained to intermediates. The American supply was abruptly cut off. The ingenuity of DuBois, then production manager of Monsanto, prevented the com- pany's failure. "We just had to start making intermediates", DuBois recalls. "We looked for a supply of phthalic anhydride, and we found a pile of waste products in the yard so we made it from that. We took mountains of residues, fused them, split the molecules, added this and that, and began making phenol." Experts are of the view· that DuBois* con- tributions to the manufacture of phenol were his most outstanding single work. The designing and erection of plant after plant for an expanding organization carried DuBois into intimate contact with plant men throughout the Monsanto organization. "There are some advan- tages to pioneering", DuBois once remarked to some young chemists. "We in t?he early days had constant valuable contact with the plant men. We knew the diffi- culties of all the jobs. We had to be re- sourceful for we had no money". Among plant men his informal, chatty way, both on and off the job, has earned for him the sobriquet, "Shirt-Sleeve Chemist". In 1920 DuBois was made vice-president of Monsanto in charge of research and de- velopment, and in 1939 were added the duties of membership on the four-man executive committee which covers the broad operating policies of the company. Last September, the war over, DuBois re- tired; not completely, however, for his ex- periences will still be at Monsanto's service as a director and consultant. Knowing his energy, his zeal for chemistry, and his unselfish way of assisting young chemists to solve problems, the author was certain that DuBois' retirement would not mark the end of his contributions to chemistry. Since retirement, DuBois has opened an office as consultant chemical engineer. Working under Gen. Lucius D. (May as a civilian technical expert, he is at present in Germany on a government mis- sion in connection with chemical problems relating to reparations. He left the States Oct. 1, 1946; this is his second trip of this kind. For his outstanding work in applied chemistry, DuBois was awarded the Per- kin Medal for 1944, highest tribute be- stowed by the chemical profession of this country. In accepting, DuBois pointed out that he considered himself and his work as "but representative of the team of loyal men who had been associated with him for years"; adding, "For them all, I accept". DuBois has given of his time and energy to many civic activities. The smoke that hovered over St. Louis back in 1904 ultimately lodged hini as technical adviser on the Municipal Smoke Elimination Committee of St. Louis and accounts for much of its success. He is also on the advisory board of the St. Louis Museum of Natural History. He is a member of the leading chemical societies on both sides of the Atlantic, and he has prepared many papers for their journals. During recent years he has served on the advisory board of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry and CHEMICAL AND EN- GINEERING NEWS. His boyish en- thusiasm for his favorite sport, fig- ure skating, has never waned. For 20 years he has bowled on Tuesday evenings w r ith the same group. In his album are photographs of DuBois haul- ing in tarpon as long as he is—five feet ten. 234 CHEMICAL AND ENGINEERING NEWS î mai tstan<
Transcript of Gaston DuBois
An American Contemporary
Gaston DuBois A. D. MCFADYEN
JL H E story of Gaston Du Bois follows tin-pa t te rn of the Horat io Alger success s tones . It is the story of a young man who left his native Switzerland to join a sprouting chemical concern in America, and whose work has contributed markedly in the development of chemical industry in his adopted land. I t is the story of a m a n who began at $75 a month with a small manufacturer of saccharin, it has witnessed the company's budding and flowering into une of the major chemical organizations of the world, based upon his technical guidance and labors.
DuBois was born in Locle, Switzerland, Aug. 9, 18S0. After receiving his early education there, he a t tended the Federal Polytechnic Ins t i tu te of Zurich, where he was graduated in 1903. He followed this with courses at the Technische Hoch-schule, in Dresden. While a t the Zurich Polytechnic Ins t i tu te , DuBois had an American roommate, Ralph Wright—a happenstance that was to set the stage for his brilliant act. For the s tory goes that on his return to America, Wright went to work a t the infant Monsanto Chemical Works, in St. Louis. About this t ime John F . Queeny, founder of Monsanto, was preparing for a trip to Europe to investigate processes for the manufacture of vanillin with the view of adding tha t as an auxiliary product to his main item, saccharin. Anticipating his difficulties with European languages, Queeny asked Wright to recommend an interpreter . DuBois was t he answer by reason of his proficiency both as a chemist and as a linguist, and he was engaged, sight unseen. On his re turn from Europe, Queeny further surveyed the vanillin prospects and decided tha t the time was ripe to build a plant here in America to manufacture this product. He dispatched an offer to DuBois of $75 a month to supervise construction and operation of the plant.
DuBois arrived in St. Louis in April, 1904—the year of the World's Fair. Though the fair ground was only a short distance awaj-, DuBois was so involved with his new assignment t h a t he visited the fair only once—the afternoon of the Four th of July. " T h e ci ty", says DuBois, "was then dirty, muddy, smoky, and very ugly.*' Wright had selected a room for him within walking distance of the plant, in order to save carfare. The gas-lit
room had only one window which opened upon the brick wall of another house three feet away.
The young chemist came prepared to work. He brought with him his books, a platinum crucible, an analytical balance, hydrometers, a n d an ordinary thermometer. "We used to go to the school of pharmacy and borrow thermometers" , DuBois reminisces. " In those days we borrowed almost everything- but we got along pret ty well ."
To install a vanillin plant was no easy task, but in a short time the plant was making vanillin by oxidizing acetyl iso-eugenol with bichromate. T o make acetyl isoeugenol, DuBois used acetic anhydride—one of the earliest uses of this important an
hydride in this country. Though the years have brought modifications and newer processes, the t y p e of the first still designed by DuBois is t h e basic type in use today.
In like manner , DuBois successfully developed the first commercial production in this country of one product after another, including caffeine, iron by the hydrogen reduction method, phenacetin, glycerophosphates, bismuth, and chloral hydrate. The problems created by the impact of World War I upon American chemical industry varied according to the products of the individual companies. T h e primary problem a t Monsanto , as with many others, per ta ined to intermediates. The American supply was abrupt ly cut off. The ingenuity of DuBois, then production manager of Monsan to , prevented the company's failure. "We just had to s ta r t making in termediates" , DuBois recalls. "We looked for a supply of phthalic anhydride, a n d we found a pile of waste products in t h e yard so we made it from that . We t o o k mountains of residues, fused them, sp l i t the molecules, added this and tha t , a n d began making phenol." Experts are of the view· t h a t DuBois* contributions to the manufacture of phenol were his mos t outstanding single work.
T h e designing a n d erection of plant after plant fo r an expanding organization carried D u B o i s into int imate contact with
plant men throughout the Monsanto organization. "There are some advantages to pioneering", DuBois once remarked to some young chemists. " W e in t?he early days had constant valuable contact with the plant men. We knew the difficulties of all the jobs. We had to be resourceful for we had no money" . Among plant men his informal, cha t ty way, both on and off the job, has earned for him the sobriquet, "Shirt-Sleeve Chemist" .
In 1920 DuBois was made vice-president of Monsanto in charge of research and development, and in 1939 were added the duties of membership on the four-man executive committee which covers the broad operating policies of the company. Last September, the war over, DuBois retired; not completely, however, for his experiences will still be a t Monsanto 's service as a director and consultant. Knowing his energy, his zeal for chemistry, and his unselfish way of assisting young chemists to solve problems, the au thor was certain tha t DuBois ' ret irement would not mark the end of his contributions to chemistry. Since retirement, DuBois has opened an office as consul tant chemical engineer. Working under Gen. Lucius D . (May as a civilian technical expert, he is a t present in Germany on a government mission in connection with chemical problems relating to reparations. He left the States Oct. 1, 1946; this is his second trip of this kind.
For his outs tanding work in applied chemistry, DuBois was awarded the Per-kin Medal for 1944, highest t r ibu te bestowed by the chemical profession of this country. In accepting, DuBois pointed out t ha t he considered himself and his work as "but representat ive of t he team of loyal men who had been associated with him for years" ; adding, "For them all, I accept" .
DuBois has given of his time and energy to many civic activities. The smoke t h a t hovered over St. Louis back in 1904 ult imately lodged hini as technical adviser on the Municipal Smoke Elimination Commit tee of St. Louis and accounts for much of its success. H e is also on the advisory board of the St . Louis Museum of Natura l History. He is a member of t h e leading chemical societies on bo th sides of the Atlantic, and he has prepared many papers for their journals . Dur ing recent years he has served on t h e a d v i s o r y board of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry a n d CHEMICAL AND E N
GINEERING N E W S .
His boyish enthusiasm for his favorite sport, figure s k a t i n g , h a s never waned. For 20 years he has bowled on Tuesday evenings writh t he same group. In his album are photographs of DuBois hauling in tarpon as long as he is—five feet ten .
234 C H E M I C A L A N D E N G I N E E R I N G N E W S
î mai tstan<
