Joseph J. Jacobs (1916–2004) was an American

chemical engineer A chemical engineer is a professional equipped with the knowledge of chemistry and other basic sciences who works principally in the chemical industry to convert basic raw materials into a variety of Product (chemistry), products and deals with ...

who founded

Jacobs Engineering Group Jacobs Solutions Inc. is an American international technical professional services firm based in Dallas. The company provides engineering, technical, professional, and construction services as well as scientific and specialty consulting for a ...

, a large engineering and construction company He earned degrees in chemical engineering from the

New York University Tandon School of Engineering The New York University Tandon School of Engineering (commonly referred to as Tandon) is the engineering and applied sciences school of New York University. Tandon is the second oldest private engineering and technology school in the United St ...

. Jacobs was also a recipient of the Hoover Medal.

Early life

Jacobs was born in

Brooklyn, New York Brooklyn is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City located at the westernmost end of Long Island in the New York (state), State of New York. Formerly an independent city, the borough is coextensive with Kings County, one of twelv ...

, in 1916. His father was a Lebanese immigrant who sold straight razors. He attended

Brooklyn Technical High School Brooklyn Technical High School, commonly called Brooklyn Tech and administratively designated High School 430, is a public specialized high school in New York City that specializes in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. It is on ...

. Jacobs worked various jobs to pay for his bachelor's degree in chemical engineering from the NYU Tandon School of Engineering, and taught college while he earned his master's degree and doctorate in that field, in 1939 and 1942, respectively. As a young engineer, he worked for Merck & Co. to develop mass production of both

DDT Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane, commonly known as DDT, is a colorless, tasteless, and almost odorless crystalline chemical compound, an organochloride. Originally developed as an insecticide, it became infamous for its environmental impacts. ...

and

penicillin Penicillins (P, PCN or PEN) are a group of beta-lactam antibiotic, β-lactam antibiotics originally obtained from ''Penicillium'' Mold (fungus), moulds, principally ''Penicillium chrysogenum, P. chrysogenum'' and ''Penicillium rubens, P. ru ...

. In 1943, he was accidentally doused with hundreds of pounds of hot DDT when a hopper valve opened. Although coated with, by his own estimate, an inch of DDT from head to foot; Jacobs suffered no ill consequences from his exposure.

Jacobs Engineering

After World War II, he moved to California, intending to go into business himself. In 1947, he opened a one-man consulting engineering business in

Pasadena, California Pasadena ( ) is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States, northeast of downtown Los Angeles. It is the most populous city and the primary cultural center of the San Gabriel Valley. Old Pasadena is the city's original commerci ...

, where he and his wife made their home. Through both internal growth and external acquisitions, this grew into Jacobs Engineering Group, one of the largest engineering and construction companies in the world.

Later years

Jacobs stepped down as chief executive of Jacobs Engineering Group in 1992, but remained as chairman of the board. He then founded two venture capital firms and devoted time to charity work. He had previously created the Jacobs Family Foundation, which donated about $32 million to non-profit organizations. In 1998, he set up the Jacobs Center for Neighbourhood Innovation in

San Diego, California San Diego ( , ) is a city on the Pacific coast of Southern California, adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a population of over 1.4 million, it is the List of United States cities by population, eighth-most populous city in t ...

Publications

Jacobs also authored two books. The first, ''The Anatomy of an Entrepreneur: Family, Culture and Ethics'', was an autobiography published in 1991. The second, ''Compassionate Conservative: Assuming Responsibility and Respecting Human Dignity'', was published in 1995 and outlined his political philosophy.

Honors

*Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Polytechnic University (Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn) *Trustee of

Harvey Mudd College Harvey Mudd College (HMC) is a private liberal arts college in Claremont, California, focused on science and engineering. It is part of the Claremont Colleges, which share adjoining campus grounds and resources. The college enrolled 902 undergra ...

(Claremont, California) *In 1983, he received the Hoover Medal, which recognizes the civic and humanitarian achievements of professional engineers. *In 1994, he was elected to membership in the National Academy of Engineering. His election citation states, "For the application of chemical engineering construction principles and for service to the profession." *In 2002, he received the Carroll H. Dunn Award of Excellence from the

Construction Industry Institute The Construction Industry Institute (CII), based at The University of Texas at Austin, is a non-profit consortium of more than 130 owner, engineering-contractor, and supplier firms from both the public and private arenas. The group aims to enhan ...

. *In 2003, he was inducted into the Brooklyn Tech Alumni Foundation Hall of Fame Brooklyn Tech Alumni Foundation 2003 Hall of Fame Inductees
Retrieved March 31, 2010.

References

External links

Jacobs Family Foundation
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jacobs, Joseph J. 1916 births 2004 deaths Engineers from Brooklyn American chemical engineers People from Pasadena, California Polytechnic Institute of New York University alumni Members of the United States National Academy of Engineering American people of Lebanese descent Brooklyn Technical High School alumni Engineers from California 20th-century American engineers Scientists from New York City