The chemical engineering industry was born in 1878 when George E. Davis, an Englishman, visited numerous chemical works in his role as a chemical inspector. His visits allowed him to identify the idea of unit operations, a core concept in chemical engineering in which a chemical process can be further broken down into operations such as distillation or crystallization. Because of this discovery, he is widely regarded as the father of chemical engineering. He was also responsible for coining the term “chemical engineering”, using it to describe an area of engineering that addressed the chemical industry’s problems.
Davis’ contributions to the discipline of chemical engineering do not stop there. Through his consulting business, he became well versed in chemical engineering concepts. This led him to found the Chemical Trade Journal in 1887 where he regularly published his ideas on chemical engineering. The articles in the Journal, which were mainly on British chemical industry operating practices, served as the basis for a famous series of 12 lectures at Manchester Technical College in 1887.
Davis’ work in his consulting business and the contents of his lecture series became the basis for his most famous publication: the Handbook of Chemical Engineering, published in 1901. Among other things, this textbook introduced the concept of unit operations (although not named as such until 1915 by Arthur D. Little) and was where he first used the term “chemical engineering”.
Davis also tried to rename the Society of Chemical Industry, a London-based society for chemists, as the Society of Chemical Engineers. That name quickly faded into obscurity as members of the Society of Chemical Industry resisted the name change. However, Davis’ efforts weren’t for naught. It was recognized that an association for chemical engineers should be formed. Today, the two most well-known are the American Institute of Chemical Engineers and the Institution of Chemical Engineers.
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