UpDate - Vol. 16, No. 6
October 10, 1996
Scientists honored during Colburn Lab dedication

     Oct. 4 was a day to honor leaders in the field of chemical
engineering-past, present and future-as some 270 dignitaries,
trustees, administrators, faculty and guests gathered in the late
afternoon on the lawn of Pearson Hall.
     The crowd was assembled for the official dedication ceremony
marking the completion of the expanded and enhanced facilities of
the Allan P. Colburn Laboratory, on view just across Academy
Street.
     The $22-million Colburn Laboratory project was funded by $7
million from private sources (including companies, foundations,
alumni and friends) and $15 million from the state and involved
both the expansion and renovation of the home of the Department
of Chemical Engineering, which was originally built in 1968. Some
instrumentation now considered essential in chemical engineering
was not even available when Colburn Lab was built.
     University President David P. Roselle welcomed guests to the
ceremony, calling it a "special day of recognition for many
individuals who, collectively, have made our celebration
possible." He noted that at the building's original dedication,
Henry B. du Pont, chairman of the Engineering Committee of the
University's Board of Trustees, called the day "chemical
engineering's finest hour."
     "Today's not bad either," Roselle said.
     The Campaign for Colburn Laboratory was supported by many
alumni and friends, corporations, foundations and organizations,
he said. The Colburn Campaign National Committee was led by
Morton Collins, Delaware '58, who made a leadership gift of
$500,000. His gift is honored in the building with the naming of
the Eva Collins Wing, presented by Collins and his daughters
Kristy and Melissa, in honor of his late wife.
     "I thank the state of Delaware for its support of the
Colburn Laboratory project," Roselle said. "The state's $15
million part of the campaign represents its commitment to
ensuring the prominence of the chemical engineering department
nationally and internationally, and we are indeed indebted to
this commitment."
     At the ceremony, special tribute was paid to two individuals
for outstanding accomplishment and leadership in their fields.
Alvin B. Stiles, retired DuPont Co. research fellow and professor
of chemical engineering at UD, was presented with the
University's Medal of Distinction, and John H. Gibbons, science
adviser to President Bill Clinton and director of the Office of
Science and Technology, received an honorary doctor of science
degree.
     Edward G. Jefferson, UD trustee and a colleague and lifelong
friend of Stiles, presented him with the Medal of Distinction.
One of the developers of nylon, Stiles holds more than 79 U.S.
patents. After retiring from DuPont in 1974, he came to the
University as a part-time research professor in chemical
engineering, increasing his activity to full time in 1976. He
retired from the University in 1989 but has remained active as a
researcher, adviser and mentor to faculty and students.
     "For all of your achievements in a lifetime of
accomplishment," Jefferson said, "it is my special pleasure to
give you this Medal of Distinction."
     Andrew B. Kirkpatrick Jr., chairman of the Board of
Trustees, conferred the honorary degree on Gibbons, who served as
the country's first director of the federal Office of Energy
Conservation, was director of Oak Ridge National Laboratory's
environmental program and is the highest ranking science and
technology official in the current administration.
     In his remarks, Gibbons paid tribute to Colburn as "heavily
responsible for the excellent research tradition" at the
University and for creating research opportunities outside the
Department of Chemical Engineering for others here. Gibbons
called Colburn "a visionary" for recognizing the value of
partnership among universities, industry and government, a
partnership that is still as vital today as it was in Colburn's
time 50 years ago. The newly expanded Colburn Laboratory is "a
world-class facility for a world-class department," he said.
     Also speaking at the ceremony was Delaware Gov. Thomas R.
Carper. He said when he attended the University 23 years ago it
was a good University and that "today it has become a great
University." Speaking on behalf of the state's administration and
legislature, he said, "We're proud to play a part in this
accomplishment today."
     Roselle added that were it not for Carper's support and
commitment to the Colburn Laboratory project, which enabled
construction to start as the campaign was ongoing, "we would be
gathered here today for the groundbreaking, not for the
dedication."
     Recalling the two-and-a-half year campaign to raise the
private funds for Colburn Laboratory, Collins said, "Not only
have we reached our [$7 million] goal on schedule, but even as I
speak we are well on our way to exceeding it by a comfortable
margin. We have done this through the wonderful generosity of
over 550 alumni and friends of the department, including every
single member of the department faculty, and 24 national
corporations and foundations who share our vision of the future
for chemical engineering at Delaware."
     The revitalized building is named in honor of Allan P.
Colburn, a nationally prominent chemical engineer who served as
chairman of the Department of Chemical Engineering.
                                                    -John Brennan