Oral history interview with Ernest H. Volwiler
- 1986-Aug-18
Oral history interview with Ernest H. Volwiler
- 1986-Aug-18
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.Ernest Volwiler begins this interview by briefly discussing his early years in Ohio, leading to college study at Miami University, where he first became interested in chemistry. He remembers the influence of faculty there and his wish to undertake graduate studies at the University of Illinois. He recounts the circumstances of his decision to proceed to the Ph.D. program after completion of his Master's degree. Research work with Roger Adams and the summer organic chemicals production enterprise helped to introduce Volwiler to drug synthesis. His long career with Abbott Laboratories started in organic synthesis, including some plant production responsibilities. Volwiler recalls Dr. Abbott as well as some of his fellow workers in the laboratories in the 1920s and 1930s. World War II saw the production of penicillin and company expansion. Volwiler was a member of the pharmaceutics investigating team sent to Germany immediately after the end of the war and he describes his experiences there. Post-war advancement led Volwiler to the presidency of Abbott Laboratories, and he discusses how he trimmed the production line and initiated development into new areas. His ACS activities culminated in his election as Society President in 1950. Volwiler ends his interview with Bohning by reflecting on the nature of the modern pharmaceutical industry.
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About the Interviewer
James J. Bohning was professor emeritus of chemistry at Wilkes University, where he had been a faculty member from 1959 to 1990. He served there as chemistry department chair from 1970 to 1986 and environmental science department chair from 1987 to 1990. Bohning was chair of the American Chemical Society’s Division of the History of Chemistry in 1986; he received the division’s Outstanding Paper Award in 1989 and presented more than forty papers at national meetings of the society. Bohning was on the advisory committee of the society’s National Historic Chemical Landmarks Program from its inception in 1992 through 2001 and is currently a consultant to the committee. He developed the oral history program of the Chemical Heritage Foundation, and he was CHF’s director of oral history from 1990 to 1995. From 1995 to 1998, Bohning was a science writer for the News Service group of the American Chemical Society. In May 2005, he received the Joseph Priestley Service Award from the Susquehanna Valley Section of the American Chemical Society. Bohning passed away in September 2011.
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| Oral history number | 0050 |
Related Items
Interviewee biographical information
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Education
| Year | Institution | Degree | Discipline |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1914 | Miami University of Ohio | BA | Chemistry |
| 1916 | University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign | MA | Chemistry |
| 1918 | University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign | PhD | Chemistry |
Professional Experience
Reilly Township Public School
- 1910 to 2017 Teacher
Miami University of Ohio
- 1913 to 1914 Teaching Assistant
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
- 1914 to 1917 Teaching Assistant
- 1915 Chemist in charge
- 1916 to 1917 Chemist in Charge, Organic Chemical Manufacture (summer)
- 1917 to 1918 Fellow in Chemistry
Abbott Laboratories
- 1918 to 1920 Research Chemist
- 1920 to 1930 Chief Chemist
- 1930 to 1933 Director of Research
- 1933 to 1946 Vice President, Research and Development
- 1946 to 1950 Executive Vice President
- 1950 to 1958 President and General Manager
- 1951 to 1961 President, Abbott Laboratories Fund
- 1958 Chairman of the Board
- 1958 to 1961 President, The Abbott Foundation
- 1958 to 1961 Chairman of the Board, Abbott Laboratories International Co.
- 1958 to 1961 Chairman of the Board, Abbott Laboratories Universal, Ltd.
- 1961 Consultant
Honors
| Year(s) | Award |
|---|---|
| 1940 | Modern Pioneers Award |
| 1946 | DSc (Honorary), Miami University |
| 1947 | Honor Scroll Award, American Institute of Chemists |
| 1949 | DSc (Honorary), Northwestern University |
| 1951 | Centennial Award, Northwestern University |
| 1953 | LLD (Honorary), Coe College |
| 1954 | LLD (Honorary), Knox College |
| 1954 | DSc (Honorary), Philadelphia College of Pharmacy and Science |
| 1954 | Chemical Industry Award |
| 1955 | Industrial Research Award |
| 1958 | D Med Sc (Honorary), Southwestern at Memphis |
| 1958 | D Sc (Honorary), St. Louis College of Pharmacy and Allied Sciences |
| 1958 | Priestley Medal, American Chemical Society |
| 1958 | Citation of Honor, Indiana Technical College |
| 1959 | Sesquicentennial Award, Miami University |
| 1959 | D Sc (Honorary), University of Illinois |
| 1960 | Gold Medal Award, American Institute of Chemists |
| 1977 | DHL (Honorary), Lake Forest College |
| 1986 | Inventors Hall of Fame |
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The published version of the transcript may diverge from the interview audio due to edits to the transcript made by staff of the Center for Oral History, often at the request of the interviewee, during the transcript review process.