I N D U S T R I A L A N D ENGINEERING C H E M I S T R Y
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Vol. 17. KO. 11
Edward DeMille Campbell Obituary
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‘ITH the death of Edward DeMille Campbell there
latter element which permitted him to obtain his remarkable passed a man whose indomitable optimism and cour- success a s an investigator, utilizing the hands and eyes of those age had enabled him to triumph over a tremendous who were frequently merely undergraduates. No research handicap and win for himself an international reputation as a problem was undertaken unless it could be planned so t h a t the scientist. Blinded when only twenty-eight years old, he con- variables could be measured quantitatively and little be left to tinued his chosen career and hot only fulfilled his duties as a the uncertain judgment of the experimenter. He developed teacher and administrator for thirty-three years, but published his memory marvelously. He would take the results of seventy-seven contributions t o the reexperimental work day by day, make search literature of his profession. approximate mental calculations, and He came from a distinguished family, visualize the trend of a series of tests his father having been a justice of the in a way which was extraordinary. Supreme Court of Michigan for thirtyHe once said that he aimed t o know seven years and, to a large extent conmore about each student’s work than currently, a professor in the Law School the student did himself, and he of the University of Michigan for twentydid. six years. Edward was born September He remained at the University of Michigan from 1890until his death. The 9, 1863, in Detroit, a t that time more a country town than a city, was educated growth in numbers of students and staff, in the public schools, and in due time with consequent differentiation in duties, entered the University of Michigan. He brought about various changes in his was fond of hunting and his scientific titles. He organized the course in chemtendencies led him into a study of zoical engineering in 1902 and held that ology, which he was tempted to adopt professorship among his other titles for as his profession. Chemistry exercised twelve years, and was director of the the stronger attraction, however, and chemical laboratory from 1905 until his metallurgy became his chosen subject. death. In his later years he gave up lecturing, giving his time to administraDuring his senior year in college he was tive duties and his research students. assistant to Prof. Byron Cheever and Professor Campbell’s research papers published his first research paper on “A C o l o r i m e t r i c Process for Estimating fall into three groups: twenty-three titles Phosphorus in Iron and Steel.” in analytical chemistry, mainly of steel, E. D. Campbell The four years following graduation forty titles on the correlation of the were spent a t isolated blast furnaces chemical and physical properties of steel, and fourteen on the constitution of Portwhere he was the only technical man. Even under those conditions he found time to continue his re- land cement. They represent a mass of solid contributions, and search work, and two papers continuing his analytical studies on in spite of the difficulties surrounding their production, only one, the determination of phosphorus in steel appeared in 1887 and an early paper which Professor Campbell himself withdrew, has 1888. Professor Cheever died in 1888 and after canvassing the revealed an unsubstantial basis, This does not mean that there field for a year the University of Michigan called Professor has not been controversy over theoretical deductions, but even there Professor Campbell held his own with at least creditable Campbell to be assistant professor of metallurgy in charge of frequency and was rarely, if ever, distinctly defeated. One the courses in quantitative analysis, assaying, and metallurgy. With his acceptance of a university career he commenced t o of the pleasures which came to him rather early in his career was plan a definite research program and took up the question of the the frank acknowledgment of Prof. John Oliver Arnold of Shefcauses of hardening of steel. One of the lines of approach which field, in a paper in the Journal of the Iron and Sceel Institute seemed promising was the identification of the hydrocarbon gases in 1899, when, after repeating Professor Campbell’s work on the evolved on solution of a steel which had been subjected to spe- diffusion of sulfides in steel, he said, “the authors have the utcific heat treatment. It was necessary to eliminate the large ex- most pleasure in directly confirming the accuracy of Professor Campbell’s general conclusion, and here congratulate him upon cess of hydrogen, and this was done by fractional combustion of an important discovery in metallurgical physics, so remarkable the gases with oxygen by means of palladium black contained in a capillary tube immersed in ice water. One day the com- and unexpected as to have been received with general increbustion was proceeding normally under the direction of an assist- dulity.” A great sustaining factor in Professor Campbell’s life was his a n t when Professor Campbell entered the room and stooped to examine the apparatus closely. At that moment an explosion family. He married Jennie M. Ives of Cincinnati in 1888 and flashed back through the capillary tube to the glass gas holder and is survived by her as well as by six children and seven grandProfessor Campbell never saw again. The accident happened children. He maintained his contact with literature, music, three days before the spring vacation of 1892. Ten days later, and people, He enjoyed the several clubs to which he belonged and though he must often have felt discouraged he never diswith the reopening of school, he was back a t his desk, a broad white bandage over his eyes, conducting classes and supervising played anything but genial cordiality and optimism. The approach of deafness was slowly walling him in still further, but laboratory work. His life soon became ordered to the new conditions-a daily it did not conquer his spirit. His death on September 18 came hour of physical exercise in the gymnasium, hours when assistants a few days after an operation from which he seemed to be rallyread to him, the preparation of notes written by himself with the ing well. He had lived an extraordinary life and leaves a record A. H. WHITE Brail typewriter, and many hours of planning. I t was this of achievement granted to but few.
