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Arnold Orville Beckman (April 10, 1900 – May 18, 2004) was an American chemist who founded Beckman Instruments based on his invention of the pH meter, a device for measuring acidity, in 1934. He also funded the first silicon transistor company, thus giving rise to Silicon Valley.
He was born in Cullom, Illinois on April 10, 1900. He attended the University of Illinois, where he earned his bachelor's degree in 1922 and his master's degree in 1923. He received his doctorate in 1928 from Caltech.
pH Meter
Beckman invented the pH meter in 1935. Originally called this instrument the acidimeter, the pH meter is an important device for measuring the pH of a solution.
Transistor
In 1955, Beckman established the Shockley Semiconductor Laboratory to fund William Shockley's research into semiconductor technology. Because Shockley's aging mother lived in Palo Alto, Shockley established the laboratory in nearby Mountain View, California. Thus, Silicon Valley was born.
During his later years, Beckman lived in Corona Del Mar near Newport Beach, California. He was an active philanthropist through the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation. To date, the Foundation has given more than 400 million dollars to various charities and organizations. Donations chiefly went to scientists and scientific causes as well as his alma maters. He is the namesake of The Beckman Institute and the Beckman Quadrangle at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Beckman and his family also sponsored the creation of the Arnold O. Beckman High School, in Irvine, California.
Dr. Beckman's history and the unique Heritage Center is located at the Beckman Coulter headquarters in Fullerton, California.
See also
- Fairchild Semiconductor: A more detailed history of Beckman's role in the founding of Silicon Valley
External links
American chemists | American inventors | California Institute of Technology alumni | Centenarians | National Medal of Science recipients | National Inventors Hall of Fame | National Medal of Technology recipients | 1900 births | 2004 deaths
"Arnold Orville Beckman"