Otto H. York

Otto H. York (1910-2007) was a distinguished chemical engineer, entrepreneur and philanthropist. York, of Madison, New Jersey, was an alumnus of Purdue University, where he received a B.S. in chemical engineering in 1934. He began his chemical engineering career working for a number of research laboratories of large companies, inventing several technical refinements that improved the safety and efficiency of fighter planes.

In 1947, York founded a company called Otto H. York Industries. The company developed and marketed a device called DEMISTER, a device made of knitted wire mesh pads used in the chemical and petroleum industries to improve the performance of process vessels. He built his business into a major New Jersey corporation, which was a leader in chemical recovery. He later sold the company to Foster Wheeler.

York started the Otto H. York Foundation Inc., and supported many groups working to improve healthcare, education and environmental research. A friend and donor to New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) for more than three decades, he enabled substantial improvements to university facilities. In 1989, NJIT dedicated the Otto H. York Center for Environmental Engineering and Science in his honor, and in 1997 he received an honorary Doctor of Science degree from NJIT.

In 2002, York pledged $1 million to the chemical engineering department. The endowment fund to establish scholarships to attract outstanding students to its chemical engineering department as well as to support research by faculty. That same year the department was renamed the Otto H. York Department of Chemical Engineering.

He was the father of Rhode Island political figure Myrth York.

York died on July 12, 2007.