Jesse C. Hwa notebooks and memoir

Collection

Identifier: 98-18

Staff Only

Scope and content

This collection has been divided into two series, Student Notebooks, 1943-1944 + [n.d.] and Memoir, 1995-1998. The first series consists of notes taken by Hwa while attending chemistry clases at St. John's University in China during World War II. The notes cover basic chemistry courses, crystal chemistry, industrial chemistry, organic chemistry, physical chemistry, qualitative analysis, and thermodynamics. As the majority of the notebooks are not dated, they have been arranged alphabetically. The second series consists of Hwa's memoir written between 1995 and 1998. The unpublished typewritten memoir is divided into six spiral bound books. Each book is devoted to a different topic pertaining to Hwa's life. The titles of the books are as follows: book I - genealogy; book II - life in China; book III - life in the U.S. (1946-1963); book IV - about my parents (1946-1968); book V - Stauffer Chemical years (1963-1985); book VI - Hwa International years (1985-1997).

Dates

Creation: 1943-1998

Creator

St. John's University (Shanghai, China) (Organization)
Stauffer Chemical Company (Organization)
Hwa International (Firm) (Organization)

Terms Governing Use and Reproduction

Hwa owns copyright to his memoir; however, access for scholarly research is not restricted. Science History Institute owns copyright to his notebooks..

Biographical sketch

Hwa was born on July 12, 1924 in Hankow, China. He received his B.S. in chemistry at St. John's University in China in 1945, and his M.S. and Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry at the University of Illinois in 1947 and 1949 respectively. He began his professional career with the Rohm and Haas Company in Philadelphia. From 1963-1985, he worked in various research and development positions within the Stauffer Chemical Company. Much of his research centered on organic and polymer chemistry. Beginning in 1985, he served as President of Hwa International, Inc., a chemical and electrical consulting firm. He served the American Chemical Society in numerous capacities, and founded the Chinese American Chemical Society.