R. Byron Bird
The information listed below is current as of the date the transcript was finalized.
Interview Details
Interview Sessions
Abstract of Interview
R. Byron Bird opens the interview with a brief discussion of his childhood. Born in Texas, Bird's family moved frequently, following Bird's father, a professor of civil engineering. During high school in Washington, DC, Bird developed his interest in foreign languages, and wanted to pursue either language or music in college. However, his father pushed him towards a degree in chemical engineering. Bird completed two years of study at the University of Maryland before entering the Army to fight in World War II. When he left the Army, he resumed his studies after a brief hiatus in a biochemistry lab of the US Department of Agriculture. Bird completed his degree at the University of Illinois, at Urbana. It was there that he decided he wanted to enter a PhD program in chemistry, and he chose to study at the University of Wisconsin. While in graduate school, Bird conducted rigorous research under Joseph Hirschfelder, and went on to a post-doctoral, Fulbright grant for research in the Netherlands. Bird returned to the United States to take a teaching position in the chemistry department at Cornell University, and after a year there, accepted a position in the chemical engineering department at the University of Wisconsin. Before returning to Wisconsin, Bird spent a summer working for DuPont, where he was introduced to the subject of rheology. Bird was extremely active at Wisconsin; he introduced a curriculum in transport phenomena, and as there existed no satisfactory textbook for this subject, he wrote one with colleagues Warren Stewart and Ed Lightfoot. After publishing a few influential books in his field, Bird returned to his original interest in foreign languages and collaborated with William Shetter on two books of Dutch literature. As a result of another Fulbright, Bird spent a year in Japan as a visiting professor. Frustrated by his inability to understand technical Japanese, he produced a book outlining a program for learning technical Japanese. Bird retired in 1992, but has continued to teach at least one semester each year. He closes his interview by discussing his awards, and talking about his hobbies: music and outdoor activities.
Education
| Year | Institution | Degree | Discipline |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1947 | University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign | BS | Chemical Engineering |
| 1950 | University of Wisconsin, Madison | PhD | Chemistry |
Professional Experience
University of Amsterdam
University of Wisconsin, Madison
Cornell University
E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Co.
Technische Universiteit Delft
Kyoto University
Université Catholique de Louvain
Honors
| Year(s) | Award |
|---|---|
| 1959 | Curtiss-McGraw Award, American Society for Engineering Education |
| 1960 | Westinghouse Award, American Society for Engineering Education |
| 1962 | William H. Walker Award, American Institute of Chemical Engineers |
| 1965 | Professional Progress Award, American Institute of Chemical Engineers |
| 1970 | American Physical Society, Fellow |
| 1972 | Honorary Doctorate, Lehigh University |
| 1973 | Honorary Doctorate, Washington University in St. Louis |
| 1974 | Bingham Medal, Society of Rheology |
| 1974 | Warren K. Lewis Award, American Institute of Chemical Engineers |
| 1977 | Honorary Doctorate, Technische Universiteit Delft, The Netherlands |
| 1979 | Honorary Doctorate, Clarkson University |
| 1981 | American Academy of Arts and Science, Fellow |
| 1982 | Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts, and Letters, Fellow |
| 1983 | Eringen Medal, Society of Engineering Science |
| 1983 | American Academy of Mechanics, Fellow |
| 1986 | Benjamin Smith Reynolds Award, University of Wisconsin |
| 1986 | Honorary Doctorate, Colorado School of Mines |
| 1987 | Corcoran Award, American Society for Engineering Education |
| 1987 | National Medal of Science |
| 1989 | Founders Award, American Institute of Chemical Engineers |
| 1989 | Hilldale Award, University of Wisconsin |
| 1989 | LAS Achievement Award, University of Illinois |
| 1991 | Institute Lecturer Award, American Institute of Chemical Engineers |
| 1993 | Centennial Medallion, American Society for Engineering Education |
| 1993 | Honorary Doctorate, Technion, Israel Institute of Technology |
| 1994 | Centennial Medallion, College of Engineering, University of Maryland |
| 1994 | Corcoran Award, American Society for Engineering Education |
| 1994 | Honorary Doctorate, Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule, Zürich |
| 1996 | Honorary Doctorate, Kyoto University, Japan |
| 1997 | Distinguished Alumni Award, Chemical Engineering Department, University of Maryland |
| 1998 | Engineering Innovation Hall of Fame Award, College of Engineering, University of Maryland |
Table of Contents
Frequent relocation due to father's career as a professor of civil engineering. Interest in music. High school in Washington, DC. Interest in foreign languages.
Two years at University of Maryland. Major in chemical engineering. ROTC. Army service during World War II. Finishing bachelor's degree at University of Illinois. Decision to pursue PhD in chemistry. PhD at University of Wisconsin. Fulbright grant. Studying in Amsterdam.
Position at Cornell University in chemistry department. Summer employment at DuPont. Study of rheology. Position at University of Wisconsin, Madison, in chemical engineering department. Introduction of transport phenomena curriculum. Production of textbooks. Chairing department during Vietnam War.
Collaboration on Dutch literature readers. Position as visiting Fulbright professor in Japan. Collaboration on manuals for learning technical Japanese.
Music and composing. Reminiscences about meaningful awards. Post retirement teaching. Thoughts on changes in chemical engineering. Canoeing and hiking in Wisconsin and Canada.
About the Interviewer
James G. Traynham is a professor of chemistry at Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge. He holds a PhD in organic chemistry from Northwestern University. He joined Louisiana State University in 1953 and served as chemistry department chairperson from 1968 to 1973. He was chairman of the American Chemical Society’s Division of the History of Chemistry in 1988 and is currently councilor of the Baton Rouge section of the American Chemical Society. He was a member of the American Chemical Society’s Joint-Board Council on Chemistry and Public Affairs, as well as a member of the Society’s Committees on Science, Chemical Education, and Organic Chemistry Nomenclature. He has written over 90 publications, including a book on organic nomenclature and a book on the history of organic chemistry.