The History of Industrial Chemistry Technology

A HISTORICAL LOOK AT ICT'S FIRST THIRTY YEARS

PICTURE THIS: A chemist working in the laboratory of a large paint company. Happy, he enjoys his work, he is challenged every day to create and observe as part of a team.

That is where I was in the summer of 1957 when I received a letter announcing an opening to lead an AAS degree program in Industrial Chemistry Technology (ICT) at Ferris Institute. This program would train chemical technicians. Where was Ferris Institute? Where was Big Rapids, Michigan? Should I apply for that teaching position?

While working as a chemical technician in Quaker Oats research center in Chicago, I decided to become a chemistry teacher. After three semesters of teaching high school and freshman college chemistry at the University of Illinois Extension Center in Waukegan, I left for graduate studies in chemistry at DePaul University.

After DePaul University I became a chemist at a paint company. In my laboratory work I was challenged every day. My responsibilities were to create components for industrial paints, evaluate and write about them. Hopefully my work would lead to commercial products. As a development / research chemist I was part of a product development team. I enjoyed my work. I loved working at the chemistry bench. I was intrigued by the opportunity at Ferris Institute; in my laboratory work I often wanted a college trained chemical technician to work with me. Please note I say, "work with me" I did not say "work for me". A good chemical technician will be a participating team member. I joined the faculty at Ferris Institute the fall term of 1957 welcomed by 33 students in the ICT curriculum. A few of these had started their curriculum in the 1956-57 academic year but lacked a lead teacher to work with them. In June 1958 seven students completed the required ICT courses. Would they find employment? A goal was employment in industry? The state of Michigan had never had an academic program to train AAS degree chemical technicians. Would Michigan industry accept our ICT graduates?

At about this time, Dow Corning Corporation in Midland, Michigan received a questionnaire from a federal educational agency. One question to be answered was "how many chemical technicians will you hire this year?"

Their answer was, "we will not hire chemical technicians this or any year." In 1964 Dow Corning Corporation of Midland hired all of the Ferris ICT graduates; in 1965 they hired all but one. What or who made them change their mind? The answer is they heard from other companies about the high quality work the AAS degreed chemical technician at Ferris Institute do.

Some 25 years later, when Dow Chemical Company defined the academic training that should be given to AAS chemical technology students, their answer included a statement something such as "a background equal to that received by the AAS students in the ICT curriculum at Ferris State College."

During the thirty years I lead the ICT curriculum, acceptance of ICT students by industry grew, the variety of companies hiring students grew, and responsibilities given to graduates grew. The increase in responsibilities assigned our graduates was possible because graduates had proven themselves capable of assuming a wide variety of demanding positions in an industrial setting. One graduate told me that on their first day in the laboratory they were told, "look at that box, the instrument inside is new, no one in our laboratory has ever used it or anything like it, you will teach yourself how to use it and become our company expert."

Upon graduation from Ferris, graduates may find employment in industry or continue their education in a chemical related area, education, or a non-science. Many graduates when they are working discover that a few additional courses are helpful in their work. Many times these few helpful courses grow into BS degrees.

One ICT class had two of its graduates upon graduation go immediately to work in industry, and while working, both took sufficient classes to eventually receive a BS degree in chemistry. Later these two Ferris graduates left their chemistry employment, returned to a university and earned the PhD degree.

When leading the ICT curriculum I was able to fulfill an idea of mine, that was to academically prepare a technician that I would like to have work with me in my laboratory work. I helped to prepare these technicians, but never had the privilege to have them work directly with me. I did spend a number of summers at the industrial laboratory bench where my ICT graduates worked nearby, I saw that they did a great job, and had a rewarding career in the laboratory.

A few years after graduating one told me "if I could have designed a career for myself when I started at Ferris I would not have had the nerve to create one so rich and beautiful as the one I live today."

Working in a chemistry laboratory is FUN; yes the ICT graduate with an AAS degree will have fun after they graduate, their salary will be rewarding. The ICT chemical technician will be treated well by their employer. .
There are wonderful success stories to be told about many that graduated 1957-1987. One young man came to Ferris only to leave after his first year in order to serve in the military. Three years later he returned, and told me "when I graduate next year I am going to move to New Orleans and find a job". After he graduated I didn't hear from him for several years, then he telephoned to tell me, "My boss likes my work so much he asked me to call you to see if you can help our company hire some Ferris graduates to work in New Orleans." New Orleans had probably never heard of an AAS degreed chemical technician before this graduate went there. One November a supervisor called and told me that he needed a chemical technician right now. On the other hand he would hold the position open if I could almost guarantee that he would be able to hire one of our ICT graduates in May.