Wilbur I. Kaye

The interview begins with Wilbur I. Kaye describing his early interest in science, and specifically, instrumentation. He discusses his decision to study at the University of Illinois, and his own academic experience there as a Ph.D. candidate in chemistry. Kaye met his wife, Virginia (Ginnie, who sits in on the interview) at Stetson University, where they studied as undergraduates, and married her prior to his last year of his graduate studies in 1944. Kaye was then recruited to Tennessee Eastman Company, where he set up a physics laboratory, by Dr. William Hincke. Initially, a PerkinElmer spectrophotometer was the sole piece of instrumentation in Kaye's lab, but he soon procured more instruments, such as a Baird Corporation Model AB2 and Beckman Instruments, Inc. DU spectrophotometer. Having joined the Tennessee Eastman division of Eastman Kodak Company near its inception, Kaye relates the history of the company to the explosion of instrumentation research, and analysis in scientific research. Near the end of his tenure at Tennessee Eastman, Kaye was one of the first scientists to publish work in the United States on gas chromatography. Kaye began modifying the DU spectrophotometer while at Tennessee Eastman, and took this work with him on his move to Beckman Instruments. Kaye's modification to the DU became known as the Beckman DK spectrophotometer, which contributed to the competition and friction between former employee Howard H. Cary and owner of Beckman Instruments, Arnold O. Beckman. Amid shifting management and company organization, Kaye continued to improve upon his instruments, as well as develop new instruments while at Beckman. Kaye discusses the difference between DK1 and DK2, the DU and the DK, and addresses the Beckman line of infrared spectrophotometers. During the company's shift into clinical instruments, Kaye developed a glucose analyzer, which James C. Sternberg continued work on once the company withdrew support. Kaye developed the DKU, which combined aspects of both infrared and ultraviolet instrumentation. In addition to pointing out some of the history of Beckman Instruments in the second half of the interview, Kaye describes the interface between administration and research components of the company. A true scientist with an innovative mind, Kaye decided stay in the research laboratory, improving and developing new instruments, rather than join the management scheme of Beckman Instruments.

University of Illinois at Urbana

1942 - 1945 Graduate Assistant

Tennessee Eastman Company

1945 - 1949 Research Chemist

Tennessee Eastman Company

1949 - 1955 Senior Research Chemist

Beckman Instruments, Inc.

1956 - 1968 Director of Research, Scientific Instruments Division

Beckman Instruments, Inc.

1968 - 1973 Director of Scientific Research, Corporate Research

Beckman Instruments, Inc.

1973 - 1980 Senior Scientist

Beckman Instruments, Inc.

1980 - 1987 Principle Staff Scientist

Consultant

1987 - present Consultant

Gerald E. Gallwas

Gerald E. Gallwas was a member of the original team in the mid 1960s that founded and managed the growth of what became the clinical diagnostic business of Beckman Instruments. As the business grew, he served in many roles from new product development to directing clinical field trials in the United States, Europe, and Japan. This led to an extensive involvement with professional and trade organizations as well as regulatory agencies. He retired after thirty years of service as director of program management overseeing new product development programs.

Arnold Thackray

Arnold Thackray founded the Chemical Heritage Foundation and served the organization as president for 25 years. He is currently CHF’s chancellor. Thackray received M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in history of science from Cambridge University. He has held appointments at Cambridge, Oxford University, and Harvard University, the Institute for Advanced Study, the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences, and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

In 1983 Thackray received the Dexter Award from the American Chemical Society for outstanding contributions to the history of chemistry. He served for more than a quarter century on the faculty of the University of Pennsylvania, where he was the founding chairman of the Department of History and Sociology of Science and is currently the Joseph Priestley Professor Emeritus.