Melvin De Groote
Encyclopedia
Melvin De Groote was one of America's great inventors. At the time of his death he held 925 patents, making him the ninth most prolific inventor in history. Time
magazine's millennium issue recognized him as second only to Thomas Edison
in this regard, although since this article was published, others have exceeded his patent count. When one takes into account the fact that Edison died at 84 and held 1,093 US patents, De Groote's contributions seem even more impressive.
De Groote's invented and patented many of the de-emulsifying agents that separate crude oil from salt, sulfur and water. Without de-emulsification, most of the oil pumped in the US for the last century would have been too corrosive for pipelines or tankers and would have been discarded.
Petrolite, De Groote's employer of 36 years, was a pioneer in oil field treatment. De Groote was recruited to the firm from the Mellon Institute in 1924 upon the death of the company's founder, William S. Barnickel. Under De Groote's leadership, the company became the industry giant.
Of Dutch-Jewish ancestry, De Groote graduated from Ohio State University
in 1915 with a degree in chemical engineering
. He took a second chemical engineering degree in 1942, also from Ohio State, and was awarded an honorary Doctorate of Science
in 1955. He was awarded the Lamme Medal in 1950 by the College of Engineering for "meritorious achievement in engineering and the chemical arts". He was also a member of Tau Beta Pi
, an engineering society.
DeGroote, in his work as a flavorings expert at the Mellon Institute was rumored to have been hired by Coca Cola to re-formulate its syrups to eliminate the alcoholic ingredients that were outlawed during prohibition
(Coke does not acknowledge any changes to its recipes).
Time (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
magazine's millennium issue recognized him as second only to Thomas Edison
Thomas Edison
Thomas Alva Edison was an American inventor and businessman. He developed many devices that greatly influenced life around the world, including the phonograph, the motion picture camera, and a long-lasting, practical electric light bulb. In addition, he created the world’s first industrial...
in this regard, although since this article was published, others have exceeded his patent count. When one takes into account the fact that Edison died at 84 and held 1,093 US patents, De Groote's contributions seem even more impressive.
De Groote's invented and patented many of the de-emulsifying agents that separate crude oil from salt, sulfur and water. Without de-emulsification, most of the oil pumped in the US for the last century would have been too corrosive for pipelines or tankers and would have been discarded.
Petrolite, De Groote's employer of 36 years, was a pioneer in oil field treatment. De Groote was recruited to the firm from the Mellon Institute in 1924 upon the death of the company's founder, William S. Barnickel. Under De Groote's leadership, the company became the industry giant.
Of Dutch-Jewish ancestry, De Groote graduated from Ohio State University
Ohio State University
The Ohio State University, commonly referred to as Ohio State, is a public research university located in Columbus, Ohio. It was originally founded in 1870 as a land-grant university and is currently the third largest university campus in the United States...
in 1915 with a degree in chemical engineering
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...
. He took a second chemical engineering degree in 1942, also from Ohio State, and was awarded an honorary Doctorate of Science
Doctor of Science
Doctor of Science , usually abbreviated Sc.D., D.Sc., S.D. or Dr.Sc., is an academic research degree awarded in a number of countries throughout the world. In some countries Doctor of Science is the name used for the standard doctorate in the sciences, elsewhere the Sc.D...
in 1955. He was awarded the Lamme Medal in 1950 by the College of Engineering for "meritorious achievement in engineering and the chemical arts". He was also a member of Tau Beta Pi
Tau Beta Pi
The Tau Beta Pi Association is the oldest engineering honor society in the United States and the second oldest collegiate honor society in America. It honors engineering students who have shown a history of academic achievement as well as a commitment to personal and professional integrity...
, an engineering society.
DeGroote, in his work as a flavorings expert at the Mellon Institute was rumored to have been hired by Coca Cola to re-formulate its syrups to eliminate the alcoholic ingredients that were outlawed during prohibition
Prohibition
Prohibition of alcohol, often referred to simply as prohibition, is the practice of prohibiting the manufacture, transportation, import, export, sale, and consumption of alcohol and alcoholic beverages. The term can also apply to the periods in the histories of the countries during which the...
(Coke does not acknowledge any changes to its recipes).