Background
Harris, Milton was born on March 21, 1906 in Los Angeles, California, United States. Son of Louis and Naomi (Granish) Harris.
Harris, Milton was born on March 21, 1906 in Los Angeles, California, United States. Son of Louis and Naomi (Granish) Harris.
Bachelor of Science, Oregon State College, 1926; Doctor of Philosophy, Yale University, 1929; Doctor Textile Science, Philadelphia Textile Institute, 1955.
His first independent business enterprise, at the age of twelve or thirteen, was building crystal radio sets. A high school science course piqued his interest in chemistry. In 1924, at the age of sixteen, Harris began his college education at Oregon State University, then known as Oregon Agricultural College (OAC).
Despite the lack of a chemistry department at that time, Harris pursued a degree in chemical engineering and took all available courses in chemistry.
Upon his graduation from Yale in 1929, Harris took his first job as a chemist at the Cheney Brothers Mill. Harris was called away from Cheney in 1931 to join a new textile research group at the National Bureau of Standards (NBS).
Harris was later appointed director of the research group, which would ultimately produce roughly 200 scientific papers on various aspects of textile chemistry. While he was at the NBS Harris, along with Vincent du Vigneaud, made important discoveries with regard to similarities between the three-dimensional molecular structures of wool, insulin, and human hair.
With the beginning of United States involvement in World World War II, Harris’ group began advising the Army Quartermaster about textiles, as well as helping to solve a myriad of problems for the NBS. Harris aided the research and redesign of sandbag sacking, tent cloth, and the chemical additives in military underwear that were used to protect soldiers from the effects of a gas attack.
At the end of World World War II, while the Textile Foundation was relocated to Princeton, New Jersey, Harris elected to stay in Washington, District of Columbia Harris’ association with the Gillette Company grew with the development of his consulting business. In 1955, Gillette bought the Harris Research Laboratories and appointed Harris Vice President of Research. Just before his retirement from Gillette in 1966, Milton Harris was approached by the American Chemical Society (American College of Surgeons) Board of Directors and asked if he would accept a nomination to the board.
He accepted and served as head for six years.
In 1975 Harris headed an American College of Surgeons panel which produced a study instrumental to the National Academy of Sciences’ recommendation for widespread cultivation of the jojoba shrub. He died of cancer September 12, 1991.
His papers were donated to Oregon State University Libraries Special Collections in November 1995. 1966 Harold DeWitt Smith Memorial Meda
Fellow Textile Institute, New York Academy of Sciences. Member American Association Textile Technology, Yale Chemists Association (past president), American Society Biological Chemists, National Academy Engineering, American Institute Chemists (president 1960-1961 Gold medal), N.A.M., Textile Research Institute, American Association Textile Colorists and Chemists, American Oil Chemists Society, Society Cosmetic Chemists, Fiber Society (honorary), American Chemical Society (chairman board directors 1966-1970, director-at-large, treasurer from 1973, Priestley medal, 1980), American Association for the Advancement of Science (editorial board publication Science 1968-1970), Society Chemical Industry, Washington Academy of Sciences, Sigma Xi, Tau Beta Pi, Phi Lambda Upsilon, Phi Kappa Phi, Gamma Alpha. Clubs: Cosmos (Washington).
Chemists (New York City).
Married Carolyn Wolf, March 30, 1934. Children: Barney Dreyfuss (adopted), John.