Warren K. Lewis

Warren Kendall Lewis (21 August 1882 – 9 March 1975) was a professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) who has been called the father of modern chemical engineering. He co-authored an early major textbook on the subject which essentially introduced the concept of unit operations. He also co-developed the Houdry process under contract to the Standard Oil Company of New Jersey into modern fluid catalytic cracking with Edwin R. Gilliland, another MIT professor.

Life Lewis was born in Laurel, Delaware, on 21 August 1882 and went to MIT to study engineering. He took the chemical engineering option from the department of chemistry, matriculating in 1901. This so engaged him that he went for postgraduate study of physical chemistry in Breslau, Germany, receiving the degree of DSc in 1908.

In 1909 Lewis published a paper on "The Theory of Fractional Distillation" which was the basis for subsequent chemical engineering calculation methods. (He later authored 19 patents on distillation. In April–May 1944 another committee under Lewis recommended construction of the S-50 thermal diffusion plant developed by Philip Abelson of the US Navy.

He was made professor emeritus in 1948 and continued to work within the department until his death on 9 March 1975.

Honors 1936 Perkin Medal of the Society of Chemical Industry 1947 Lamme Medal of the American Society of Engineering Education 1947 Priestley Medal of the American Chemical Society. He was the first chemical engineer to achieve the Priestley Medal. 1949 American Institute of Chemists Gold Medal 1957 E. V. Murphree Award 1966 Elected to the US National Academy of Engineering 1973 Simon Ramo Founders Award of the National Academy of Engineering He is commemorated in the Warren K. Lewis Award for Chemical Engineering Education of the AIChE and in the Warren K. Lewis Lectureship at MIT.