Ind. Eng. Chem. Res. 1995,34, 2551-2552
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Phologmph by Kathy S e t h
Friedrich G. Helfferich It has been stated that the great scientists and engineers are those who have a wide variety of interests and activities. It would be difficult to identify another chemical engineer who has the breadth of activities and contributions to match Fred Helfferich to whom this Festschrift issue of Industrial BE Engineering Chemistry Research is dedicated. Perhaps the following short biographical sketch will help shed light on this many-faceted individual.
0888-5885/95/2634-2551$09.00/00 1995 American Chemical Society
2552 Ind. Eng. Chem. Res., Vol. 34, No. 8, 1995
Biography Friedrich Georg Helfferich was born in Berlin on August 1, 1922, the son of Karl and Johanna (v. Siemens) Helfferich. Perhaps his distinguished future was foretold by the eminence of his godfathers, who were the ex-Kaiser Wilhelm 11,who was then a private citizen after his abdication in 1918, and Paul von Hindenburg, who later became the President of the German republic. Fred’s father was Secretary of Finance and Vice-Chancellor under Kaiser Wilhelm, and the leader of a moderate right-wing opposition party in the Weimar Republic. He was a distinguished economist who worked hard to stem the slide toward Naziism and to put his country back on its feet by tackling the hyperinflation of the early 1920s. Sadly, before his work could be completed, he was killed in a railroad accident. Fred Helfferich’s first love as a child was naval architecture, and by the age of 12, he knew Jane’s Fighting Ships by heart. However, he ended up studying physical chemistry a t the University of Gottingen. His work on ion exchange started when he began his studies with Reinhard Schlogl. His first scientific contributions to ion exchange resulted from an unusual reversal of roles. Fred Helfferich, the student, more often than not would come up with the ideas (including many cockeyed ones), and Professor Schlogl would then find elegant mathematical solutions for the survivors. After obtaining a degree of Dr. rer. nat. in Physical Chemistry at the University of Gottingen, and 5 years a t the Max-Planck-Institut (where he translated Linus Pauling‘s General Chemistry textbook into German), he emigrated to the United States in 1956. From 1958 to 1979, Fred had a career as a supervisor and a senior staff chemist with the Shell Development Company. In 1980, after he had retired from industry, he became Professor of Chemical Engineering at Penn State. Although Fred Helfferich’s contributions are numerous, there is no question that his text, Ion Exchange, is a landmark contribution which after more than 30 years is still considered as the “Bible”by most workers in the field of ion exchange. His more recent monograph Multicomponent Chromatography, which he co-authored with Gerhard Klein, is an exhaustive theoretical treatise which introduces the principle of “coherence”and rigorously demonstrates how it can be used to explain dynamic behavior of multicomponent systems. In addition to being a text author, in the early 1980s he became the founding editor of the journal Reactive Polymers. Fred also has published over 160 papers and has seven patents. He has won many awards, including the ACS Award for Separation Science and Technology. He is credited with three major concepts: the ligand exchange separation technique, tracer-pulse chromatography, and coherence in chemical engineering dynamics.
Most of us in the profession are impressed by Fred Hemerich’s many and diverse contributions to engineering and science. However, his professional life represents only the tip of the iceberg which encompasses the activities and interests of this unique individual. Fred has continued his interest in military history which was developed as a child, is an enthusiastic fan of war games, and was the editor of the Journal of Fire and Movement. Since a child, he has been an avid traveler, and has developed the mastery of many languages, includmg Latin, Ancient Greek, German, Italian, French, English, and some Swedish. Sports, as well as intellectual pursuits, has always been an integral part of Fred Helfferich’s life. As a youth, he was an ardent skier in Germany and Switzerland. He has continued to maintain his interest in sailing, and succeeded at mastering wind surfing at a mature age. He has a remarkable record of quickly recovering from 15 operations, many associated with broken bones related to his athletic activities. After his retirement from Penn State, he sought a sport t o feed that competitive athletic fire which still burns within him. Because both his hips have been replaced, running was not a good choice. He discovered the next best thing-race walking! He set himself a goal to become a winning race walker, and after years of intensive training, he won the 1500 and 2400 m race-walking events in his age group (70-74) in the State of Pennsylvania Senior Games in 1993. After over 50 years of contributions t o science and engineering, 15 surgeries, 12 separate fractures, a hernia, and arthritis, and several close encounters with death, including a shell fragment in World War 11,Fred Helfferich at age 72 continues t o be active both intellectually and athletically. As a recent local newspaper article indicated, “he takes a licking and keeps on ticking! In spite of all his accomplishments and many-faceted interests, to those who know him, Fred Helfferich’s greatest attribute is his personal warmth and humor. In retirement, he continues to be a favorite among students and is always available for discussions, advice, or help whenever approached. Only Fred Helfferich would cross-country ski with a broken ankle through the blizzard of ‘93 to help a widow friend dig out her car. We dedicate this issue t o a truly extraordinary individual-a chemical engineer whose life and work should be an inspiration to all of us!
Larry Duda The Pennsylvania State University IE950256R
