Gordon Battelle
Encyclopedia
Gordon Battelle was the founder of Battelle Memorial Institute
, a non-profit independent research and development organization.
, Kentucky
, to Colonel John Gordon Battelle and Annie Maude Norton. He died at the age of 40 following an appendectomy at a Columbus, Ohio hospital. In his will, he left the bulk of his estate, about $1.6 million, to the establishment of Battelle Memorial Institute.
His father, John Gordon Battelle, was a pioneer in the steel industry and former owner of Columbus Iron & Steel Co. He died in 1918. Battelle’s mother, Annie Maude Norton Battelle, was a suffragette
. She married Battelle's father in Memphis, Tennessee
, in 1881. They moved to the Ohio cities of Cincinnati and Piqua
and finally settled in Columbus, Ohio
, in 1905. Annie Maude Norton Battelle died in March 1929.
As the only son of John and Annie Battelle, Gordon was trained to inherit and manage his father’s holdings in the steel industry.
, and later studied metallurgy
at the Sheffield Scientific School
of Yale University
.
After working for his father for several years, he struck out on his own and invested in lead
mining and smelting
operations in the Joplin, Missouri
area.
While there, he became acquainted with a scientist and former professor, George Waring, who was trying to develop a process for the recovery of commercial values from mine tailings
and mine water. Battelle became interested in the experimental work and built a small laboratory
for Waring. This resulted in the successful completion of the process, which was then taken to a commercial laboratory for economic appraisal.
By this experience Battelle gained a profound respect for research as a means of solving industrial problems. He spent nearly a year visiting laboratories throughout the country to develop a plan that would team science and industry as a way to bring opportunities and benefit to mankind.
.
Battelle established the institute “for the purpose of education in connection with and the encouragement of creative and research work and the making of discoveries and inventions in connection with the metallurgy of coal
, iron
, steel
, zinc
and their allied industries.” Battelle Memorial Institute opened its doors on King Avenue in Columbus, Ohio, in October 1929.
Battelle believed that the way to achieve lasting impact and benefit from his wealth was to use it in a way that would benefit mankind through science. Every year, Battelle Memorial Institute donates 20 percent of its net income to the communities in which it works. These grants have supported a variety of social, human and artistic causes but have mainly focused on math and science education initiatives.
technologies, high performance materials, next generation healthcare diagnostics and therapeutics, and advanced security solutions for people, infrastructure, and the nation. The Institute has also helped develop commercial products ranging from products to fight diabetes, cancer
, and heart disease
to the office copier machine (Xerox
).
Battelle Memorial Institute
Battelle Memorial Institute is a private nonprofit applied science and technology development company headquartered in Columbus, Ohio. Battelle is a charitable trust organized as a nonprofit corporation under the laws of the State of Ohio and is exempt from taxation under Section 501 of the...
, a non-profit independent research and development organization.
Birth, death and family
Battelle was born in CovingtonCovington, Kentucky
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 43,370 people, 18,257 households, and 10,132 families residing in the city. The population density was 3,301.3 people per square mile . There were 20,448 housing units at an average density of 1,556.5 per square mile...
, Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
, to Colonel John Gordon Battelle and Annie Maude Norton. He died at the age of 40 following an appendectomy at a Columbus, Ohio hospital. In his will, he left the bulk of his estate, about $1.6 million, to the establishment of Battelle Memorial Institute.
His father, John Gordon Battelle, was a pioneer in the steel industry and former owner of Columbus Iron & Steel Co. He died in 1918. Battelle’s mother, Annie Maude Norton Battelle, was a suffragette
Suffragette
"Suffragette" is a term coined by the Daily Mail newspaper as a derogatory label for members of the late 19th and early 20th century movement for women's suffrage in the United Kingdom, in particular members of the Women's Social and Political Union...
. She married Battelle's father in Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
, in 1881. They moved to the Ohio cities of Cincinnati and Piqua
Piqua, Ohio
Piqua is a city in Miami County, Ohio, United States. The population was 20,738 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Dayton Metropolitan Statistical Area.Piqua was one of the cities that experienced severe flooding during the Great Dayton Flood of 1913....
and finally settled in Columbus, Ohio
Columbus, Ohio
Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
, in 1905. Annie Maude Norton Battelle died in March 1929.
As the only son of John and Annie Battelle, Gordon was trained to inherit and manage his father’s holdings in the steel industry.
Education and career
Battelle attended military school in Chester, PennsylvaniaChester, Pennsylvania
Chester is a city in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United States, with a population of 33,972 at the 2010 census. Chester is situated on the Delaware River, between the cities of Philadelphia and Wilmington, Delaware.- History :...
, and later studied metallurgy
Metallurgy
Metallurgy is a domain of materials science that studies the physical and chemical behavior of metallic elements, their intermetallic compounds, and their mixtures, which are called alloys. It is also the technology of metals: the way in which science is applied to their practical use...
at the Sheffield Scientific School
Sheffield Scientific School
Sheffield Scientific School was founded in 1847 as a school of Yale College in New Haven, Connecticut for instruction in science and engineering. Originally named the Yale Scientific School, it was renamed in 1861 in honor of Joseph E. Sheffield, the railroad executive. The school was...
of Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
.
After working for his father for several years, he struck out on his own and invested in lead
Lead
Lead is a main-group element in the carbon group with the symbol Pb and atomic number 82. Lead is a soft, malleable poor metal. It is also counted as one of the heavy metals. Metallic lead has a bluish-white color after being freshly cut, but it soon tarnishes to a dull grayish color when exposed...
mining and smelting
Smelting
Smelting is a form of extractive metallurgy; its main use is to produce a metal from its ore. This includes iron extraction from iron ore, and copper extraction and other base metals from their ores...
operations in the Joplin, Missouri
Joplin, Missouri
Joplin is a city in southern Jasper County and northern Newton County in the southwestern corner of the US state of Missouri. Joplin is the largest city in Jasper County, though it is not the county seat. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 50,150...
area.
While there, he became acquainted with a scientist and former professor, George Waring, who was trying to develop a process for the recovery of commercial values from mine tailings
Tailings
Tailings, also called mine dumps, slimes, tails, leach residue, or slickens, are the materials left over after the process of separating the valuable fraction from the uneconomic fraction of an ore...
and mine water. Battelle became interested in the experimental work and built a small laboratory
Laboratory
A laboratory is a facility that provides controlled conditions in which scientific research, experiments, and measurement may be performed. The title of laboratory is also used for certain other facilities where the processes or equipment used are similar to those in scientific laboratories...
for Waring. This resulted in the successful completion of the process, which was then taken to a commercial laboratory for economic appraisal.
By this experience Battelle gained a profound respect for research as a means of solving industrial problems. He spent nearly a year visiting laboratories throughout the country to develop a plan that would team science and industry as a way to bring opportunities and benefit to mankind.
Impact on science and industry
Before the founding of Battelle Memorial Institute, industrial research was a relatively new idea. Battelle was ahead of his time in his exploration of the application of science to industry. He regarded scientific research as not only a means of making industry more efficient, but also of solving social problems and uplifting the common manCommon man
Common man may refer to:*Common people*Champion of the Common Man*"Common Man progrum" on sport hosted by Dan Cole*The cartoon character by R K Laxman, The Common Man*The Common Man , the 1975 French film...
.
Battelle established the institute “for the purpose of education in connection with and the encouragement of creative and research work and the making of discoveries and inventions in connection with the metallurgy of coal
Coal
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers or veins called coal beds or coal seams. The harder forms, such as anthracite coal, can be regarded as metamorphic rock because of later exposure to elevated temperature and pressure...
, iron
Iron
Iron is a chemical element with the symbol Fe and atomic number 26. It is a metal in the first transition series. It is the most common element forming the planet Earth as a whole, forming much of Earth's outer and inner core. It is the fourth most common element in the Earth's crust...
, steel
Steel
Steel is an alloy that consists mostly of iron and has a carbon content between 0.2% and 2.1% by weight, depending on the grade. Carbon is the most common alloying material for iron, but various other alloying elements are used, such as manganese, chromium, vanadium, and tungsten...
, zinc
Zinc
Zinc , or spelter , is a metallic chemical element; it has the symbol Zn and atomic number 30. It is the first element in group 12 of the periodic table. Zinc is, in some respects, chemically similar to magnesium, because its ion is of similar size and its only common oxidation state is +2...
and their allied industries.” Battelle Memorial Institute opened its doors on King Avenue in Columbus, Ohio, in October 1929.
Legacy of charity
Battelle developed a strong sense of social responsibility from his parents. His father was a leader in charitable endeavors in the community, and his mother devoted many hours to church, charitable work and benevolent political movements. She was one of the largest donors to private charities in Columbus.Battelle believed that the way to achieve lasting impact and benefit from his wealth was to use it in a way that would benefit mankind through science. Every year, Battelle Memorial Institute donates 20 percent of its net income to the communities in which it works. These grants have supported a variety of social, human and artistic causes but have mainly focused on math and science education initiatives.
Battelle Memorial Institute today
Battelle Memorial Institute has its headquarters in Columbus, Ohio. It supports and promotes science and math education, and conducts research and development through contract research, laboratory management, and technology commercialization. The Institute conducts research in areas such as global climate change, sustainable energySustainable energy
Sustainable energy is the provision of energy that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs. Sustainable energy sources include all renewable energy sources, such as hydroelectricity, solar energy, wind energy, wave power, geothermal...
technologies, high performance materials, next generation healthcare diagnostics and therapeutics, and advanced security solutions for people, infrastructure, and the nation. The Institute has also helped develop commercial products ranging from products to fight diabetes, cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
, and heart disease
Heart disease
Heart disease, cardiac disease or cardiopathy is an umbrella term for a variety of diseases affecting the heart. , it is the leading cause of death in the United States, England, Canada and Wales, accounting for 25.4% of the total deaths in the United States.-Types:-Coronary heart disease:Coronary...
to the office copier machine (Xerox
Xerox
Xerox Corporation is an American multinational document management corporation that produced and sells a range of color and black-and-white printers, multifunction systems, photo copiers, digital production printing presses, and related consulting services and supplies...
).