Innovation, the Rolla way
Posted by Andrew Careaga
The first female scientist in the U.S. Public Health Service, Ida Bengtson was also one of the first female faculty member on our campus and one of many innovators to teach here.
From our founding, S&T and innovation have been tightly linked
Note: Friday, Nov. 6, 2020, is Founders Day at Missouri S&T. It marks the 149th anniversary of the first day of classes at our university, then known as the Missouri School of Mines and Metallurgy. For more about our history and our 150th anniversary celebration, visit 150.mst.edu.
From advances in materials, movies and microloans to wound-healing glass and the Hula-Hoop, Miners have created some of the world’s most significant innovations. Here are some notable achievements of our alumni and faculty.
Copper wire made electrification of the U.S. possible in the early 20th century, but it was Daniel C. Jackling, MetE 1892, who made the copper wire possible. Jackling developed a way to recover copper “so cheaply,” notes the Mining Hall of Fame, “it was hailed throughout the industry as a revolutionary achievement.” 
Research by Mervin J. Kelly, Chem 1914, at AT&T Bell Laboratories led to the world’s first trans-oceanic phone call in 1927. Kelly later served as president of Bell Labs, where his research group invented the transistor. 
The first female scientist in the U.S. Public Health Service, Ida Bengtson came to Rolla in the 1920s to study the bacterial infection trachoma. MSM Director Charles Fulton, delighted to have an “expert bacteriologist” in town, added her to the faculty. In Rolla through 1931, she also worked on a treatment for Rocky Mountain spotted fever. 
As an engineer for Westinghouse in 1953, Harry Smith, EE’42, discovered pulse-Doppler radar, now commonly used for weather forecasters everywhere. 
While studying catalysts to convert petroleum into liquid gasoline, Robert L. Banks, ChE’44, stumbled upon an idea in 1951 to create high-density polyethylene (HDPE), a material used for plastic milk jugs, baby bottles, laundry baskets and the Hula-Hoop. 
Until the 1980s, global positioning systems had no commercial applications. Along came Ed Tuck, EE’53, who developed the first hand-held GPS receiver for general use, the Magellan NAV 1000. 
Delbert Day, CerE’58, co-invented a process to treat inoperable liver cancer with radioactive glass microspheres, each one about one-third the diameter of a human hair. The treatment is used at hundreds of medical sites worldwide. 
He started out as a florist, but Robert Herchenroeder, MetE’59, is better known for creating Haynes Alloy 188, which was used in engines for the F-15 Eagle and other military aircraft. He earned 36 U.S. patents in his lifetime. 
After leaving Texas Instruments, John Fairbanks, EE’71, co-founded Poqet Computer and created the first sub-notebook style computer. It was powered by two AA batteries. 
Joining forces with actor Matt Damon, Gary White, CE’85, MS CE’87, is bringing clean water and sanitation to millions worldwide through the non-profit, water.org, and the WaterCredit microloan program. 
The winner of three Academy Awards for technical achievement, Steve Sullivan, EE’89, developed special effects systems used in dozens of movies, including Pirates of the Caribbean, Avatar and Iron Man. 
A security researcher at AT&T, Cristina Serban, MS CSci’93, PhD CSci’96, holds patents for content security systems and now studies ways to make mobile and cloud computing more secure. 
Jack Dorsey, NDD’98, co-founded two of the 21st century’s most influential digital developments: the social network Twitter and the mobile payment platform Square. This year, he set aside $1 billion to battle coronavirus, support girls’ health and education, and promote universal basic income. 
Steven Jung, CerE’05, MS CerE’07, PhD MSE’10, developed a cotton candy-like glass fiber matrix called Mirragen that speeds the healing of open wounds.
A version of this article originally appeared in the Summer 2020 issue of Missouri S&T Magazine.
You missed the “SplitSet Friction Stabilizer” which quickly spread throughout the world of underground hard rock metal mining. This was developed by Dr. James Scott, while he was a professor in the Mining Department in about 1973. Jim was an MSM Mining graduate in 1950. The new type of roof bolt was easier, faster and cheaper than the conventional roof bolts and was applied in thousands of underground hard rock mines. Thus making underground mining safer for the miner.
Thank you, Dr. Bullock. I remember Dr. Scott well, and as you point out, his mine roof stabilizer was not only innovative, but made the mining industry much safer. For the record, we featured Dr. Scott in earlier publications, including the Miner Alumni Association’s 1994 “entrepreneurship” issue and our 2011 “Alumni of Influence” publication (also online at https://influence.mst.edu/2011/otherremarkablealumni/ininnovation/). Thank you for remembering and honoring Dr. Scott’s memory.
Best,
Andrew Careaga