A Brief History of Chemical Engineering at The University of Iowa
The concept of chemical engineering at The University of lowa started as early as 1903, as illustrated by the early catalogs in the University Library Archives. In that year, a separate series of courses is listed as "Courses in Applied Chemistry." That activity began in the College of Liberal Arts, whose Dean was then Amos Noyes Currier (1888-1907). Instruction in Industrial Chemistry was conducted by Dr. William Jay Karslake (Ph.D., Johns Hopkins University, 1895). He came to Iowa in 1904, and his name last appeared in the 1917-18 Catalog.
The term "Chemical Engineering" was first used in the 1905 catalog. The curriculum of the course content was listed for sophomores, juniors and seniors, while the freshman year was the same as for mechanical engineering students. The administration of the program was in Engineering, which was a part of the College of Applied Science, under the direction of Dean William G. Raymond.
Thus, the program in chemical engineering was under the aegis of the Chemistry Department from the very beginning until 1952.
Dr. Hubert L Olin was the first person trained in chemical engineering to join the
faculty (1919), when Dr. E. W. Rockwood was Head of Chemistry (1906-1920). In 1920, the Chemistry Department came under the direction of Professor Edward Bartow, a sanitary engineer. Dr. Bartow negotiated with Dean Raymond of the College of Applied Science regarding a cooperative effort in chemical engineering. This was actually established in 1926 when responsibility for the program was accepted by Dean Raymond and his successor, Dean C. C. Williams. (The College of Applied Science became the College of Engineering in 1927.) The budget responsibility remained with the Department of Chemistry.
People trained in chemical engineering who taught in what was then called the Division of Chemical Engineering were as follows:
| H. L. Olin (Head 1919-1944) | 1919-1950—Emeritus |
| J. L. Beal | 1934-1936 |
| L. W. Cornell | 1936-1937 |
J. Howard Arnold |
1937-1944 |
W. L. Faith (Head of Div.) |
1944-1945 |
C. S. Grove (Head of Div.) |
1945-1948 |
J. O. Osburn (Acting Head 1948-1949) |
1946-1985—Emeritus |
K. Kammermeyer (Div. & Dept. Head) |
1949-1973—Emeritus |
C. J. Major |
1950-1965 |
Arthur F. Vetter |
1962-1987—Emeritus |
Sun-Tak Hwang (Program Chair 1978-1982) |
1966-1982 |
J. K. Beddow |
1968-1997—Emeritus |
Richard Tock |
1970-1974 |
Kirk C. Valanis (Materials Div. Chairman) |
1974-1978 |
Gregory Carmichael (Chair 1982-1995, Interim Chairman 1998-1999) |
1978- |
Ravindra Datta |
1981-1998 |
Susan M. Selke |
1983-1984 |
David W. Luerkens |
1984-1993 |
David G. Rethwisch |
1985- |
Randall A. Yoshisato |
1985-1989 |
Jonathan S. Dordick (Chair 1995 -1998) |
1987-1998 |
Victor G. J. Rodgers |
1989-2005 |
David W. Murhammer (Chair 2007-present) |
1989- |
Audrey A. Butler, Adjunct |
1989- |
John M. Wiencek (Chair 2002-2007) |
1995-2007 |
Yuri Khmelnitsky, Adjunct |
1995-1999 |
Tonya L. Peeples |
1995- |
Robert Linhardt |
1996-2003 |
Stephen Hunter, Adjunct |
1996- |
Alec B. Scranton (Chair 2000-2002) |
2000- |
Julie L. P. Jessop |
2000- |
C. Allan Guymon |
2002- |
Charles O. Stanier |
2004- |
Jennifer Fiegel |
2006- |
Eric Nuxoll |
2008- |