| Malcolm M. Renfrew | |
|---|---|
| Born | October 12, 1910 Spokane, Washington, United States |
| Residence | Moscow, Idaho |
| Nationality | United States |
| Fields | Chemistry |
| Institutions | University of Idaho |
| Alma mater | University of Idaho (B.S. 1932, M.S. 1934) University of Minnesota (Ph.D. 1938) |
| Doctoral advisor | George Glockler |
| Known for | Teflon |
| Notable awards | American Chemical Society 1985 Chemical Health & Safety Award |
Malcolm MacKenzie Renfrew (born October 12, 1910) is an American polymer chemist, inventor, and professor emeritus at the University of Idaho in the Moscow, Idaho. Renfrew Hall, the university's chemistry building, was named for him in 1985.[1]
He is noted for his contribution to the development of Teflon, including the first paper on the subject.[2] In 1946 he spoke on behalf of DuPont at the ACS meeting at which Teflon was announced.[3]
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The son of an accountant, Renfrew was born October 12, 1910, in Spokane, Washington, and moved with his family at age 12 to Potlatch, Idaho, in 1923. He graduated from Potlatch High School in in 1928 and attended the University of Idaho in nearby Moscow, where he joined the Phi Gamma Delta fraternity and wrote for The Argonaut, the student newspaper. Originally interested in journalism, he switched his major to chemistry and graduated with a B.S. in 1932 and an M.S. in 1934.[4] He then traveled to the Midwest to continue his studies and earned a Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota in 1938.[5]
Renfrew then worked for DuPont in New Jersey, where he produced a number of patents on polymethyl methacrylate, including one on photopolymerization,[6] material for tooth repair,[7] as well as epoxy resins[8] and the first method of synthesis of poly(tetrafluoroethylene) in a form which was suitable for the commercial production of Teflon.[9]
After further industrial experience with General Mills Company in Minneapolis and Spencer Kellogg & Sons in Buffalo, he returned west in 1959 to his alma mater to head the UI Department of Physical Science.[3] This was split into separate departments of physics and chemistry in 1967, with Renfrew as the Head of Chemistry, a position he retained until 1973; he retired in 1976 and became professor emeritus.[4]
In 1976 he was made a Fellow of the American Chemical Society. Well known for his research, Renfrew has been praised for his work on chemical safety and as an educator, both recognized in the ACS 1985 Chemical Health and Safety Award for "his publications and column on Chemical Safety in the Journal of Chemical Education". In 2006 he received the Distinguished Science Communicator award.[10]
Renfrew is also an accomplished artist: an exhibition of his paintings was held in Moscow City Hall in November–December 2010.[11]
His 100th birthday, October 12, 2010, was declared as "Malcolm M. Renfrew Day" in the State of Idaho by Governor Butch Otter.[12]
Part of the celebration was the rededication of Renfrew Hall, the chemistry building named for him a quarter century earlier. Opened in 1965 as the Physical Sciences Building ("Phy-Sci"), it was renamed "Renfrew Hall" in October 1985 for his 75th birthday.[13]
Shortly after gaining his doctorate, he married Carol Joy Campbell (September 19, 1913 – January 12, 2010), on June 26, 1938. She was a 1935 B.S. economics graduate of the University of Idaho from Rosalia, Washington; at the time of her death at age 96, they had been married for over 71 years.[10][14]
Renfrew is an Elder of the Presbyterian Church and plays the trombone.[15]