Ernest H. Volwiler
| Ernest Henry Volwiler | |
|---|---|
| Born |
August 22, 1893 Hamilton, Ohio, United States |
| Died | October 3, 1992 (aged 99) Lake Forest, Illinois, United States |
| Citizenship | United States |
| Fields | Synthetic Organic chemistry |
| Institutions | Abbott Laboratories |
| Alma mater | Miami University, University of Illinois |
| Doctoral advisor | Roger Adams |
| Known for | Nembutal, Pentothal |
| Notable awards | IRI Medal (1955), Priestley Medal (1958), American Institute of Chemists Gold Medal (1960). |
Ernest Henry Volwiler (August 22, 1893 – October 3, 1992) was an American chemist. He spent his entire career at Abbott Laboratories working his way from staff chemist to CEO. He was a pioneer in the field of anesthetic pharmacology, assisting in the development of two breakthrough drugs, Nembutal and Pentothal. Volwiler also helped Abbott Laboratories to achieve commercial success for its pharmaceutical products including the commercialization of penicillin and sulfa drugs during World War II.
Ernest Henry Volwiler was born on August 22, 1893 to Mr. and Mrs. Jacob Volwiler of Hamilton, Ohio, German-speaking immigrants. They lived on a farm near the intersection of Layhigh and Robinson roads in Morgan Township, Butler County, Ohio. As a child, Volwiler and his brother Albert Tangeman Volwiler attended a one-room schoolhouse. Later, Ernest attended Morgan Twp. High School in Okeana, Ohio, graduating in 1909. He then spent a year teaching in a country school, to earn money for university.
Volwiler received a bachelor's degree from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio in 1914. He became interested in chemistry after attending a lecture by John C. Hessler of James Milliken University, Decatur, Ill. He went on to receive a master's degree and Ph. D. in chemistry from the University of Illinois in 1916 and 1918. Volwiler was Roger Adams' first doctoral student. Starting in 1915 as a summer student, Volwiler worked with Clarence Derick's Organic Chemical Manufactures unit at the University of Illinois, learning to make and sell chemicals that had previously been imported from Germany. From 1916 to 1917 Volwiler served as Chemist-in-Charge of Organic Chemical Manufactures. From 1917 to 1918 he was a Fellow in Chemistry at the University of Illinois.
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