Alfred R. Bader
The information listed below is current as of the date the transcript was finalized.
Interview Details
Interview Sessions
Abstract of Interview
Alfred Bader begins this interview with a discussion of his early years in Vienna, including his family background and Gymnasium education. This is followed by additional education in England, living in Canada as a refugee, and his undergraduate education at Queen's University. Bader then describes his graduate education with Louis F. Fieser at Harvard, and discusses the faculty and friends during his tenure there. The interview continues with Bader's move to Milwaukee, his research with PPG, and the origin and growth of the Aldrich Chemical Company, including the merger with Sigma Chemical Company and the decision to go public. The interview concludes with Bader's comments on his art collection and family matters.
Education
| Year | Institution | Degree | Discipline |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1940 | Brighton Technical College | ||
| 1945 | Queen's University | BSc | Engineering Chemistry |
| 1946 | Queen's University | BA | History |
| 1947 | Queen's University | MS | Chemistry |
| 1949 | Harvard University | PhD | Organic Chemistry |
Professional Experience
Murphy Paint Company
Pittsburgh Plate Glass Company
Aldrich Chemical Company
Sigma-Aldrich Corporation
Honors
| Year(s) | Award |
|---|---|
| 1980 | Honorary ScD degree, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee |
| 1983 | Engineer-of-the-Year Award, Engineers and Scientists of Milwaukee, Inc. |
| 1984 | Honorary ScD degree, University of Wisconsin-Madison |
| 1984 | Honorary ScD degree, Purdue University |
| 1986 | Honorary LLD degree, Queen's University |
| 2009 | Pittcon Heritage Award, Pittsburgh Conference on Analytical Chemistry and Applied Spectroscopy and the Chemical Heritage Foundation |
Table of Contents
Parents and family situation in Vienna. "Adopted" mother. Gymnasium education in Vienna. Professor Sedlmayer. Forced to leave school. Stamp collecting. The move to England.
The East Hove Senior School for Boys. Support from Mrs. Wolff. Living as a refugee with the Scharff family. Brighton Technical College. The move to Canada. Living in a refugee internment camp.
Sponsorship by Martin Wolff. The International Student Service (ISS). Junior and senior matriculation at McGill University. Late registration at Queen's University. Engineering chemistry. Summer job with Murphy Paint Company. Bachelor's degree in engineering chemistry. Bachelor's degree in history. Interest in commercial part of paint chemistry. Laboratory work with Professor McKay. Incident with McKay leading to first publication.
Applications to Harvard and the ETH in Zürich. Interest in making compounds. Fellowship from Louis Fieser. Courses at Harvard. Comparison of Harvard and Queen's. Work on the Hooker Oxidation. Making diazomethane from MNNG. Friends and faculty at Harvard. PhD degree. Showing work by Mary Fieser to be incorrect.
Conditions at PPG. Noncatalytic transesterification of beta-keto esters. Preparation of conjugated unsaturated phenols for phenolic resins. Preparation of diphenolic acid. Reaction of diketene with acetone.
Decision to remain in Milwaukee when PPG moves to Pittsburgh. Full-time with Aldrich. Partnership with Jack Eisendrath. Financial support from Bill Kesselman. Gaining full control of the company. Du Pont order for suberic acid. Earlier formation of Aldrich. First catalogs and products.
Distribution of early catalogs. Addition of more compounds and early customers. Teaching afternoon Hebrew school. Competition from Eastman Kodak. Acquisition offer from J. T. Baker. Decision to go public. Stock offers. Company growth.
Approach to Sigma. Relationship with Dan Broida. Benefits from merger. Importance of product analyses. Aldrich "Gold Label" products.
Origins of art collecting. Paintings on catalog covers. Exhibits of paintings. First Wife. Marriage to Isabel. Sons. European trips. Comments on British research.
About the Interviewer
Arnold Thackray founded the Chemical Heritage Foundation and served the organization as president for 25 years. He is currently CHF’s chancellor. Thackray received MA and PhD degrees in history of science from Cambridge University. He has held appointments at Cambridge, Oxford University, and Harvard University, the Institute for Advanced Study, the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences, and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
In 1983 Thackray received the Dexter Award from the American Chemical Society for outstanding contributions to the history of chemistry. He served for more than a quarter century on the faculty of the University of Pennsylvania, where he was the founding chairman of the Department of History and Sociology of Science and is currently the Joseph Priestley Professor Emeritus.