Dr. Edwin
T. Williams
Dr. Edwin
T. Williams received his undergraduate Chemical Engineering
degree from the University of Pennsylvania in 1939, his master’s
in Chemical Engineering from the University of Toronto in
1944, and his Ph. D. from Penn State in 1952. Dr. Williams
worked for the Shell Development Company as a Chemical Plant
Design Engineer until returning to Penn State as an Associate
Professor of Chemical Engineering in 1955. He joined Michigan
Tech in 1960 as Professor and Department Head of Chemistry
and Chemical Engineering, becoming Michigan Tech’s first
Vice President in 1962 where he served as liaison to the State
government and legislature, initiated the first development
office and helped craft the University’s first long
range plan. He returned to research and teaching in 1967 and
held various acting and Assistant Department Head positions
in addition to teaching until his retirement as Professor
Emeritus in 1986. Professor Williams co-authored a best-selling
textbook with R. Curtis Johnson entitled Stoichiometry for
Chemical Engineers, McGraw-Hill in 1958. His research accomplishments
include development of aircraft gluing techniques during WWII,
design of a vapor-liquid equilibrium still, design of a multistage
fluidized bed reactor for Argonne National Laboratories, and
development of a wood and bark chip separation technique for
the pulp and paper industry. Professor Williams was a key
participant in promoting communication skills in the Chemical
Engineering curriculum and was inducted into the newly formed
State of Michigan Chemical Engineering Hall of Fame in 1983.
He is a Life Trustee of the Michigan Tech Fund. |
