The Knowledge Bank at The Ohio State University

Ohio State Engineer

Title: History of Ceramic Department

Creators: Watts, Arthur S.

Issue Date: Nov-1931

Publisher: Ohio State University, College of Engineering

Citation: Ohio State Engineer, vol. 15, no. 2 (November, 1931), 8, 22-24.

URI: http://hdl.handle.net/1811/34845

Appears in Collections: Ohio State Engineer: Volume 15, no. 2 (November, 1931)

The OHIO STATE ENGINEER

HISTORY OF CERAMIC DEPARTMENTBy ARTHUR S. WATTS

ON April 20, 1894, the GeneralAssembly of Ohio passed an act

requiring the Board of Trustees ofThe Ohio State University to estab-lish a department of ceramics; and inSeptember, 1895, the first departmentfor technical ceramic education in theUnited States, and we believe in theworld, was opened in Orton Hall,Ohio State University, with ProfessorEdward Orton, Jr., in charge andfifteen students enrolled. A two-yearcourse of instruction was provided.In 1896 a four-year course was an-nounced and Mr. William LloydEvans was employed as assistant inceramics. Dr. Evans, who is nowhead of the Chemistry Departmentof Ohio State. University, resignedafter two years and was succeeded byMr. A. V. Bleininger, now one ofthe foremost ceramic technologists in America. In 1901Mr. Bleininger was promoted to instructor, and Mr. RossC. Purdy, now General Secretary of the American Ce-ramic Society, was appointed assistant in ceramics. Mr.Bleininger became assistant professor in 1905 and associateprofessor in 1906. He resigned in 1908, and Mr. Purdywas appointed associate professor.

On May 16, 1908, the name was changed from De-partment of Ceramics to Department of Ceramic Engi-neering.

In 1909, Homer F. Staley was appointed assistant pro-fessor of ceramic engineering.

In 1910, Ross C. Purdy and Homer F. Staley wereappointed professors of ceramic engineering, and Carl B.Harrop was appointed assistant professor in charge ofceramic engineering design and construction.

In 1911, Mr. Purdy resigned and Mr. F. K. Pencewas appointed professor.

In 1913, Mr. Pence resigned and Mr. Arthur S. Wattswas appointed professor.

In 1915, Professor Orton was absent on leave andProfessor Watts was acting head of the department.Hewitt Wilson was appointed assistant professor.

In 1917, Professor Orton resigned and Professor Wattssucceeded him as head of the department.

In 1920, Professor Wilson resigned, and was succeededby J. T . Robson with the title of instructor.

In 1925, Professor Harrop resigned and J. L. Car-ruthers was appointed assistant professor.

In 1926, G. A. Boyle was appointed research professor.In 1927, R. M. King was appointed assistant pro-

fessor.

In 1928, Dr. S. R. Scholes was ap-pointed lecturer in glass technology.

In 1930, J , L. Carruthers was ap-pointed associate professor.

In 1930, Dr. Scholes resigned andwas succeeded by D. J. McSwiney.

The present teaching staff consistsof Arthur S. Watts, professor; JohnL. Carruthers, associate professor;George A. Bole, research professor;R. M. King, assistant professor; D.J. McSwiney, lecturer; J. C. Lysatt,mechanician.

The first graduate received the de-gree "Engineer of Mines in Ceram-ics" in 1900. From 1908 to 1914inclusive, the degree "Ceramic Engi-neer" was conferred, and since thenthe degree granted has been "Bache-lor of Ceramic Engineering."

The enrollment has grown fromthe original fifteen Short-Course students to 123 in 1931.This includes nine post-graduate students. The depart-ment has graduated 323 students with the bachelor orequivalent degree, 18 with the graduate degree of Masterof Science, and six with the degree Doctor of Philosophy.

DISTRIBUTION OF GRADUATES IN THE

CERAMIC INDUSTRY

Art ^2 per cent, Enameled Metals 7 per cent, Glass 5per cent, Heavy Clay Products 15 per cent, Refractories13 per cent, Terra Cotta 7 per cent, Whitewares 20 percent, Research and Teaching 7 per cent, MiscellaneousCeramics 7 per cent, Outside Ceramics 6 per cent, no rec-ord 12J/2 per cent.

Data obtained by questionnaire at a meeting of 108graduates discloses that

Thirty-one per cent are interested financially inthe concerns employing them.

Forty-three per cent are superintendents or higherofficers of concerns employing them.

In 1906 the Ceramic Engineering Department movedinto Lord Hall, where it has since maintained its head-quarters.

In 1917 the U. S. Bureau of Mines established a re-search station in Lord Hall, where fundamental researchin ceramics is conducted. In 1926 the direction of thisStation was transferred to the U. S. Bureau of Standards.

In 1927 the State of Ohio erected a ceramic researchand plant proving station at Roseville, Ohio, in connectionwith the state-owned brick plant, where problems relatedto the heavy clay and refractory industries are investigatedand carried through to commercial completion. These

(Continued on Page 22)

22 The OHIO STATE ENGINEER

HISTORY OF CERAMIC DEPT.(Continued from Page 8)

two research stations are open to students of ceramicengineering and have great educational value.

Three cooperative fellowships are maintained by theBureau of Standards—Engineering Experiment Station,and various other fellowships are maintained throughcooperation of the industries for research in the field ofceramic engineering.

Ceramic education has developed in the past thirty-fiveyears from a field devoid of literature and with no definitevision of industrial utilization of graduates to a well-defined branch of engineering, possessing a literaturewhich compares favorably in quality and amount to thatof the other fields of engineering, and producing graduatesthrough both general and special training to meet mostindustrial demands. The progress in ceramic industrialdevelopment is generally credited in a large degree to thegraduates in ceramic engineering.

The educational scheme originally was a single courseof study followed by all students. Since 1925 the coursesof study have been increased so that the student elects anythree of the following: heavy clay wares, refractories,stoneware and terra cotta, whiteware, metal enamels,and ceramic colors. These are in addition to a generalcourse in glass technology. The graduate thus has specifictraining in at least four fields of ceramics. This depart-ment has always emphasized ceramic plant and equipmentconstruction to a greater degree than any other ceramicschool. The application of physical chemistry and thermo-

(Continued on Page :.]_)

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HISTORY OF CERAMIC DEPT.(Continued from Page 22)

chemical mineralogy to ceramics is also emphasized in thecurriculum and is proving a valuable aid in the solutionof problems in this field.

The opportunity for graduate work in ceramics is ex-ceptional, and the number of graduate students in ceramicengineering is steadily increasing.

The OHIO STATE ENGINEER