Arnold O. Beckman: One Hundred Years of Excellence (Chemical Heritage Foundation Series in Innovation and Entrepreneurship) [Hardcover]

Arnold Thackray (Author), Minor Myers Jr. (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0941901238 | ISBN-13: 978-0941901239 | Publication Date: June 30, 2000

Arnold O. Beckman was a legend in his time: the blacksmith's son who grew up to play a pivotal role in the instrumentation revolution that dramatically changed science, technology, and society. From his rural boyhood world of farming and woodworking, through his service in the U.S. Marines and his appointment to the Caltech faculty, to his path-breaking creation of the pH meter, the DU spectrophotometer, and the establishment of the Beckman Instruments company, this work portrays an individual whose ingenuity and integrity made him a scientific leader and industrial pioneer. It also discusses his role in California and national politics, and his career as a major philanthropist.

Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

Arnold O. Beckman is a living legend. He is renowned for his achievements in the worlds of science, technology, and entrepreneurship. A blacksmiths son from rural Illinois, Beckman has played a central role in the instrumentation revolution of the twentieth century, in California life, and in science-oriented philanthropy.

Born in 1900, Arnold Beckman fell in love with chemistry as a child. This passion led to a Ph.D. from Caltech, and to a faculty position there. He interrupted his graduate career to be close to his future wife, Mabel Meinzer, whom he first met when he was a marine in World War I, and spent two years at Bell Labs where he gained an intimate knowledge of electronics.

In 1934, Beckman began one of the earliest high-tech in a garage startups, creating the first in a series of path-breaking scientific instruments, the pH meter. The gripping story of Beckman and his firms contributions to such secret World War II efforts as radar and the Manhattan Project features the DU and IR-1 spectrophotometers, the Helipot, the dosimeter, and the oxygen analyzer. As head of Beckman Instruments he played a seminal role in the beginnings of Silicon Valley, and he led the effort to understand and deal with Los Angeles smog. Other later achievements include pioneering new technologies for the life sciences and contributing to national politics and to California civic life.

Arnold O. Beckman: One Hundred Years of Excellence tells the story of both a public and a private figure. At an age when most people retire, he and his wife began the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation, donating millions to scientific research centers.

Included with this biography is a video portrait of Arnold Beckman, in CD-ROM format for both PC and Mac. You will be able to see and hear him talk about his early life, his marriage to Mabel, and his philosophies of inventing, education, and philanthropy.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 397 pages
• Publisher: Chemical Heritage Foundation (June 30, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0941901238
• ISBN-13: 978-0941901239
• Product Dimensions: 11.3 x 9.2 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,422,746 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Leading with Innovation and Example, October 17, 2001

By 

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This review is from: Arnold O. Beckman: One Hundred Years of Excellence (Chemical Heritage Foundation Series in Innovation and Entrepreneurship) (Hardcover)

This biography of Dr. Beckman was created to coincide with his 100th birthday last year.

While many will not recognize his name, all have had their lives improved by his many innovative contributions to science, medicine, and education. Chemistry as we know it mostly advanced through the development of instruments that can rapidly, inexpensively, and accurately analyze biological and mineral substances. Our modern manufacturing processes rely on these instruments as do our physicians in isolating and diagnosing diseases. Many of these tests were first accomplished by either Dr. Beckman or the company he founded, Beckman Instruments. His company also played a key role in pioneering critical components and instruments for secret projects such as those for radar and the atomic bomb during World War II.

In parallel, Dr. Beckman played a big role in the development of Cal Tech, as a student, professor, major donor, and trustee. The rise of that institution from being a small school to one of the world's very top universities benefited, in part, from Dr. Beckman's efforts on Cal Tech's behalf over many decades.

Dr. Beckman's company continues to thrive today as Beckman Coulter, and is leading the way to finding new ways to diagnose diseases.

If you are like me, you will enjoy reading about how many important chemical and electronic innovations occurred. Dr. Beckman was often involved. For example, Beckman Instruments was at one time briefly a leader in work developing the first semiconductor technology, before there was a Silicon Valley. It was fascinating to see how the team split off to become Fairchild and later Intel.

Dr. Beckman was very generous with his charity, and has donated hundreds of millions of dollars.

The biography is unusually detailed on both the personal and the scientific side. The book also benefits from having many excellent photographs. I particularly liked the many side bars that made it possible to read in more depth about particular aspects of Dr. Beckman's life. .

Anyone who wants to understand about the challenges of being an inventor-businessperson will enjoy this book. Those who are interested in understanding more about how modern instruments developed will find the book like a history of science. Anyone who wants to learn about being a good example will find Dr. Beckman to be a worthy source of study, as well.

After you finish this book, consider where you have stopped following your curiosity. Then take some more steps in those directions. Like Dr. Beckman, your greatest accomplishments may be ahead of you as you follow your curiosity into the uncharted territory of the next big thing.

Look on life with interest and pursue it with high standards!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good, January 15, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Arnold O. Beckman: One Hundred Years of Excellence (Chemical Heritage Foundation Series in Innovation and Entrepreneurship) (Hardcover)

An interesting book about an interesting man. In 1997 "USA Today" listed the top 10 charity givers in America, and Arnold Beckman was listed 10th as having given $280 million to charity. A man who does that is worth reading about!