James R. Fair
Encyclopedia
James Rutherford Fair, PhD, P. E. (1920—2010), also known as Jim Fair or James R. Fair, was a notable American chemical engineer
. His professional career included 33 years working in a variety of industrial positions, primarily for Monsanto Company.
In 1979, he shifted to academia, joining the University of Texas at Austin
School of Chemical Engineering, where he founded the Separations Research Program, which he headed from 1982 until 1996. Although he officially retired in 1992, he remained active as professor emeritus until his death in 2010.
He was particularly noted for his research into separation technologies, especially distillation
and extraction. Dr. Fair was a registered Professional Engineer in Missouri and Texas. He published more than 200 technical papers and book chapters.
on October 14, 1920 to James R. Fair and Georgie C. Fair. The family also lived in Tonganoxie, Kansas
and Little Rock, Arkansas
. At age eighteen, he enrolled at The Citadel. In 1940, he transferred to Georgia Tech, where he earned a B. S. degree in chemical engineering in 1942. He earned a master's degree at the University of Michigan
in 1949 and a Ph.D. at the University of Texas in Austin in 1954.
As a boy, Jim developed a life-long fascination with railroad trains. He collected books and other memorabilia, and even wrote two books about railroad operations. After his death, the family donated his large collection to the Temple Railroad and Heritage Museum in Temple, Texas
.
Fair met and married Merle Innis while working in Texas City, Texas
. Their wedding occurred January 14, 1950. They had three children.
largely destroyed the facility where he worked. Though injured, he survived the explosion and subsequent fires.
Monsanto granted Fair a one-year leave of absence to attend University of Michigan and earn his master's degree. He then returned to work in Texas City. In 1952, he took an unpaid leave to study at the University of Texas in Austin (UT). He studied under Dr. Howard F. Rase, earned his doctoral degree in 1954, then went to work for two years for Shell Development Company in Emeryville, California
.
Dr. Fair returned to Monsanto in 1956 as a Research Section Leader at the corporate research laboratory in Dayton, Ohio
. In 1961, he was transferred to the corporate headquarters in St. Louis. His career continued to progress there. During this time, he became well-known in his profession as an expert in process design and especially the design of equipment for fractional distillation and extraction. He also represented Monsanto in activities of Fractionation Research, Inc.
, an industry-sponsored research group. His final position at Monsanto was Director of Corporate Technology.
, he also served as Affiliate Professor of Chemical Engineering for Washington University between 1964 and 1977. In 1979, the University of Texas at Austin
Department of Chemical Engineering offered him the Ernest and Virginia Cockrell Chair in Engineering. He accepted the offer and moved to Austin. In 1985, he was appointed to the John J. McKetta Centennial Chair in Engineering.
In 1983, Fair established the UT Separations Research Program (SRP), a consortium of industry and academia, and served as head of the program until 1996. It had as many as 40 industrial sponsors at one time. Fair also built a pilot plant for separations research projects. The SRP evolved into the Process Science and Technology Center, which has expanded into additional areas of engineering.
Dr. Fair taught courses for students ranging from freshmen to upper-level graduates, enriching the curriculum with real-life examples from his industrial experience. He is credited with supervising the research for 21 masters theses and 22 doctoral dissertations. Even though he officially retired at age 72, he continued to work regularly as professor emeritus for the rest of his life. He died October 11, 2010 in Austin, Texas
.
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...
. His professional career included 33 years working in a variety of industrial positions, primarily for Monsanto Company.
In 1979, he shifted to academia, joining the University of Texas at Austin
University of Texas at Austin
The University of Texas at Austin is a state research university located in Austin, Texas, USA, and is the flagship institution of the The University of Texas System. Founded in 1883, its campus is located approximately from the Texas State Capitol in Austin...
School of Chemical Engineering, where he founded the Separations Research Program, which he headed from 1982 until 1996. Although he officially retired in 1992, he remained active as professor emeritus until his death in 2010.
He was particularly noted for his research into separation technologies, especially 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 extraction. Dr. Fair was a registered Professional Engineer in Missouri and Texas. He published more than 200 technical papers and book chapters.
Early life and education
Jim Fair was born in Charleston, MissouriCharleston, Missouri
Charleston is a city in Mississippi County, Missouri, United States. The population was 4,732 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Mississippi County and it is a home to a local correctional facility.-History:...
on October 14, 1920 to James R. Fair and Georgie C. Fair. The family also lived in Tonganoxie, Kansas
Tonganoxie, Kansas
Tonganoxie is a city in Leavenworth County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 4,996.-Geography:Tonganoxie is located at...
and Little Rock, Arkansas
Little Rock, Arkansas
Little Rock is the capital and the largest city of the U.S. state of Arkansas. The Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 699,757 people in the 2010 census...
. At age eighteen, he enrolled at The Citadel. In 1940, he transferred to Georgia Tech, where he earned a B. S. degree in chemical engineering in 1942. He earned a master's degree at the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
in 1949 and a Ph.D. at the University of Texas in Austin in 1954.
As a boy, Jim developed a life-long fascination with railroad trains. He collected books and other memorabilia, and even wrote two books about railroad operations. After his death, the family donated his large collection to the Temple Railroad and Heritage Museum in Temple, Texas
Temple, Texas
Temple is a city in Bell County, Texas, United States. Located near the county seat of Belton, Temple lies in the region referred to as Central Texas. Located off Interstate 35, Temple is 65 miles north of Austin and 34 miles south of Waco. In the 2010 Census, Temple's population was 66,102, an...
.
Fair met and married Merle Innis while working in Texas City, Texas
Texas City, Texas
Texas City is a city in Chambers and Galveston counties in the U.S. state of Texas. The population was 41,521 at the 2000 census. It is a part of the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown, Texas Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
. Their wedding occurred January 14, 1950. They had three children.
Industrial career
During World War II, Fair served in several capacities with the government-sponsored high explosives and synthetic rubber programs. After the war, he joined Monsanto Company, where he was worked in research, process design, manufacturing technical services and commercial development. Initially, he was a junior engineer in St. Louis, but was transferred to the Monsanto plant at Texas City, Texas, just before the Texas City DisasterTexas City Disaster
The Texas City Disaster was the deadliest industrial accident in U.S. history. The incident took place on April 16, 1947, and began with a mid-morning fire on board the French-registered vessel SS Grandcamp which was docked in the Port of Texas City...
largely destroyed the facility where he worked. Though injured, he survived the explosion and subsequent fires.
Monsanto granted Fair a one-year leave of absence to attend University of Michigan and earn his master's degree. He then returned to work in Texas City. In 1952, he took an unpaid leave to study at the University of Texas in Austin (UT). He studied under Dr. Howard F. Rase, earned his doctoral degree in 1954, then went to work for two years for Shell Development Company in Emeryville, California
Emeryville, California
Emeryville is a small city located in Alameda County, California, in the United States. It is located in a corridor between the cities of Berkeley and Oakland, extending to the shore of San Francisco Bay. Its proximity to San Francisco, the Bay Bridge, the University of California, Berkeley, and...
.
Dr. Fair returned to Monsanto in 1956 as a Research Section Leader at the corporate research laboratory in Dayton, Ohio
Dayton, Ohio
Dayton is the 6th largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Montgomery County, the fifth most populous county in the state. The population was 141,527 at the 2010 census. The Dayton Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 841,502 in the 2010 census...
. In 1961, he was transferred to the corporate headquarters in St. Louis. His career continued to progress there. During this time, he became well-known in his profession as an expert in process design and especially the design of equipment for fractional distillation and extraction. He also represented Monsanto in activities of Fractionation Research, Inc.
Fractionation Research
Fractionation Research Inc. is an industry cooperative organization that researches the performance of industrial-scale mass transfer devices such as trays, packings and other column internals. Its objective is to facilitate the design of more economical distillation, absorption and stripping...
, an industry-sponsored research group. His final position at Monsanto was Director of Corporate Technology.
Academic career
Dr. Fair had long maintained a great interest in chemical engineering education. While working for Monsanto in St. Louis, MissouriSt. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
, he also served as Affiliate Professor of Chemical Engineering for Washington University between 1964 and 1977. In 1979, the University of Texas at Austin
University of Texas at Austin
The University of Texas at Austin is a state research university located in Austin, Texas, USA, and is the flagship institution of the The University of Texas System. Founded in 1883, its campus is located approximately from the Texas State Capitol in Austin...
Department of Chemical Engineering offered him the Ernest and Virginia Cockrell Chair in Engineering. He accepted the offer and moved to Austin. In 1985, he was appointed to the John J. McKetta Centennial Chair in Engineering.
In 1983, Fair established the UT Separations Research Program (SRP), a consortium of industry and academia, and served as head of the program until 1996. It had as many as 40 industrial sponsors at one time. Fair also built a pilot plant for separations research projects. The SRP evolved into the Process Science and Technology Center, which has expanded into additional areas of engineering.
Dr. Fair taught courses for students ranging from freshmen to upper-level graduates, enriching the curriculum with real-life examples from his industrial experience. He is credited with supervising the research for 21 masters theses and 22 doctoral dissertations. Even though he officially retired at age 72, he continued to work regularly as professor emeritus for the rest of his life. He died October 11, 2010 in Austin, Texas
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
.
Honors
- Fellow of the American Institute of Chemical EngineersAmerican Institute of Chemical EngineersThe 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,...
(AIChE) (since 1971) - Member of the National Academy of Engineering (1974)
- Honorary Doctorates from
- Washington University (1977)
- Clemson UniversityClemson UniversityClemson University is an American public, coeducational, land-grant, sea-grant, research university located in Clemson, South Carolina, United States....
(1987)
- Other awards
- William H. Walker Award (AIChE) (1973)
- Chemical Engineering Practice Award (AIChE) (1975)
- Founders Award (AIChE) (1976)
- Distinguished Engineering Graduate from University of Texas (1976)
- Joe J. King Professional Engineering Achievement Award (1977)
- Malcolm Pruitt Award from the Council for Chemical ResearchCouncil for Chemical ResearchCouncil for Chemical Research is an organization based in Washington, DC, whose membership represents the U.S. chemical research enterprise. CCR was formed in 1979 to promote cooperation in basic research and encourage high quality education in the chemical sciences and chemical engineering...
(1991) - Gold Medallion Award from the American Society for Engineering EducationAmerican Society for Engineering EducationThe American Society for Engineering Education is a non-profit member association, founded in 1893, dedicated to promoting and improving engineering and engineering technology education....
(1993) - Separations Science and Technology Award from the American Chemical SocietyAmerican Chemical SocietyThe American Chemical Society is a scientific society based in the United States that supports scientific inquiry in the field of chemistry. Founded in 1876 at New York University, the ACS currently has more than 161,000 members at all degree-levels and in all fields of chemistry, chemical...
(1993) - Engineering Hall of Fame at Georgia TechGeorgia Institute of TechnologyThe Georgia Institute of Technology is a public research university in Atlanta, Georgia, in the United States...
(1994)