George E. Davis
Encyclopedia
George Edward Davis is regarded as the founding father of the discipline of Chemical Engineering
.
Davis was born at Eton
on 27 July 1850, the eldest son of George Davis, a bookseller. At the age of fourteen he was apprenticed to a local bookbinder but he abandoned this trade after two years to pursue his interest in chemistry. Davis studied at the Slough Mechanics Institute while working at the local gas works, and then spend a year studying at the Royal School of Mines
in London (now part of Imperial College, London) before leaving to work in the chemical industry around Manchester
, which at the time was the main centre of the chemical industry in the UK.
Davis worked as a chemist at Brearley and Sons for three years. He also worked as an inspector for the Alkali Act of 1863
, a very early piece of environmental legislation that required soda manufacturers to reduce the amount of gaseous hydrochloric acid
released to the atmosphere from their factories. In 1872 he was engaged as manager at the Lichfield Chemical Company in Staffordshire
. In this job his capacity for innovation flourished. His works included what was at the time the tallest chimney
in the UK, with a height of more than 200 feet (61 m).
Davis identified broad features in common to all chemical factories and wrote the influential A Handbook of Chemical Engineering. He also published a famous lecture series of 12 lectures, given in 1888 at Manchester Technical School (which became University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology (UMIST)). These lectures defined Chemical Engineering as a discipline.
His lectures were criticized for being common place know-how since it was designed around operating practices used by British chemical industries. At this time, however, in the United States, this information helped initiate new thinking in the Chemical Industry, as well as spark Chemical Engineering degree programmes at several universities in the US.
Davis was also instrumental in the formation of the Society of Chemical Industry
(1881), which he had wanted to name the Society of Chemical Engineering.
In the entrance to Jackson's Mill, the building that houses the School of Chemical Engineering and Analytical Sciences, University of Manchester
, there is a display and memorial to Davis. The George E. Davis Medal of the Institution of Chemical Engineers
is named in his honour.
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...
.
Davis was born at Eton
Eton, Berkshire
Eton is a town and civil parish in Berkshire, England, lying on the opposite bank of the River Thames to Windsor and connected to it by Windsor Bridge. The parish also includes the large village of Eton Wick, 2 miles west of the town, and has a population of 4,980. Eton was in Buckinghamshire until...
on 27 July 1850, the eldest son of George Davis, a bookseller. At the age of fourteen he was apprenticed to a local bookbinder but he abandoned this trade after two years to pursue his interest in chemistry. Davis studied at the Slough Mechanics Institute while working at the local gas works, and then spend a year studying at the Royal School of Mines
Royal School of Mines
Royal School of Mines comprises the departments of Earth Science and Engineering, and Materials at Imperial College London.- History :The Royal School of Mines was established in 1851, as the Government School of Mines and Science Applied to the Arts...
in London (now part of Imperial College, London) before leaving to work in the chemical industry around Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
, which at the time was the main centre of the chemical industry in the UK.
Davis worked as a chemist at Brearley and Sons for three years. He also worked as an inspector for the Alkali Act of 1863
Alkali Act 1863
Under the British Alkali Act 1863, an Alkali inspector and four subinspectors were appointed to curb discharge into the air of hydrogen chloride from the Leblanc alkali works.In 1874 the Inspector became the Chief Inspector...
, a very early piece of environmental legislation that required soda manufacturers to reduce the amount of gaseous hydrochloric acid
Hydrochloric acid
Hydrochloric acid is a solution of hydrogen chloride in water, that is a highly corrosive, strong mineral acid with many industrial uses. It is found naturally in gastric acid....
released to the atmosphere from their factories. In 1872 he was engaged as manager at the Lichfield Chemical Company in Staffordshire
Staffordshire
Staffordshire is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. Part of the National Forest lies within its borders...
. In this job his capacity for innovation flourished. His works included what was at the time the tallest chimney
Chimney
A chimney is a structure for venting hot flue gases or smoke from a boiler, stove, furnace or fireplace to the outside atmosphere. Chimneys are typically vertical, or as near as possible to vertical, to ensure that the gases flow smoothly, drawing air into the combustion in what is known as the...
in the UK, with a height of more than 200 feet (61 m).
Davis identified broad features in common to all chemical factories and wrote the influential A Handbook of Chemical Engineering. He also published a famous lecture series of 12 lectures, given in 1888 at Manchester Technical School (which became University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology (UMIST)). These lectures defined Chemical Engineering as a discipline.
His lectures were criticized for being common place know-how since it was designed around operating practices used by British chemical industries. At this time, however, in the United States, this information helped initiate new thinking in the Chemical Industry, as well as spark Chemical Engineering degree programmes at several universities in the US.
Davis was also instrumental in the formation of the Society of Chemical Industry
Society of Chemical Industry
The Society of Chemical Industry is a learned society set up in 1881 "to further the application of chemistry and related sciences for the public benefit". Its purpose is "Promoting the commercial application of science for the benefit of society". Its first president was Henry Enfield Roscoe and...
(1881), which he had wanted to name the Society of Chemical Engineering.
In the entrance to Jackson's Mill, the building that houses the School of Chemical Engineering and Analytical Sciences, University of Manchester
School of Chemical Engineering and Analytical Sciences, University of Manchester
The School of Chemical Engineering and Analytical Sciences University of Manchester was formed by the merger in 2004 of the former UMIST departments of Chemical Engineering, and DIAS - the Department of Instrumentation and Analytical Sciences - and the Centre for Process Integration...
, there is a display and memorial to Davis. The George E. Davis Medal of the Institution of Chemical Engineers
Institution of Chemical Engineers
The Institution of Chemical Engineers is a global professional engineering institution with over 33,000 members in over 120 countries worldwide, founded in 1922, and awarded a Royal Charter in 1957.-Structure:...
is named in his honour.
External links
- Biography at Chemical archives chemheritage.org (with photograph of George E. Davis)
- Chemsoc brief biographical details chemsoc.org