In Memoriam

Otto Vogl

(1927-2013)

 

  

 

Otto Vogl, an Austrian Polymer scientist of world renown died on April 27, 2013.

Born on November 6, 1927 in Traiskirchen, Austria (a room is dedicated in its City museum), he studied chemistry, received his PhD (Chemistry and Philosophy) at the University of Vienna in 1950, and became an Instructor at the II. Chemical Institute of the University of Vienna.

 

In 1953 he came to the U.S.A. as a postdoctoral associate at the University of Michigan and Princeton University. He joined the Polychemicals Department of Du Pont in 1956. He was invited to join the newly created efforts in polymer science at the University of Massachusetts as full Professor in 1970. In 1982 he was invited and appointed to the newly created the Herman F. Mark Professor at the Polytechnic University, the first endowed named Professor in Polymer Science in the United States. He retired in 1996 and returned to his position as Professor Emeritus at the University of Massachusetts and was active in this position until recently.

 

Otto Vogl played an enormous impact on the activities of polymer science of his generation. Most importantly, he was responsible for making polymer science a global science and organization. He was once called: The Metternich of Polymer Science.

 

In his career, he worked and published in several innovative fields, which are documented in his many publications and patents. He was an active in several fields, the forward thrust and leader of new developments. From organic polymer chemistry to polymer physics to polymer technology.

Vogl was not only an extraordinary scientist and teacher, but also was involved in the globalization of Polymer Science. Starting from the early 1970 when he played an important role in US polymer science, he enlarged the overall interaction of leading the International Polymer Conference in Amherst, the cooperation with the Japanese Polymer Community, the  creation and leadership of the Pacific Polymer Federation as its first President.

He was extensively involved in publishing on subjects of polymer science. He was for many years the Editor in Chief of a leading Journal of Polymers: Progress in Polymer Science and on the Editorial and Advisory Board of about 20 International Journals Including the American co-editor of the Monatshefte.

His contributions to polymer science are too numerous to detail here.

He was the cornerstone to the development of the Polymer Science Department at the University of Massachusetts and a vital member of its highly successful development. With particular importance is his creation of CUMIRP, the Center of UMass- Industrial cooperation in polymer science, the first University-Industrial cooperative program in the US and his increased development of the reputation and impact of polymer science nation wide of the Polymer Institute at Polytechnic University.

He received honorary doctoral degrees from a number of universities, including from Osaka University and the traditional Friedrich Schiller University of Jena.

In addition he was an honorary member of a number of highly recognized professional societies, including the Society of Polymer Science of Japan and the Austrian Chemical Society.

 

Numerous were the recognitions in the scientific community during his life time: He was a Member of the prestigious Academy of Sciences on the Royal Academy of Sweden, the Austrian academy and others academic Institutions of high repute.

 

He was an active member of the Division of Polymer Chemistry. He served as the POLY Division Secretary (1970-1973) before he was elected Chair Elect in 1973 and served as Chair in 1974. For many years while he was an officer of the Division, he and his wife Jane ran the POLY Business Office. He received POLY awards including the Herman F. Mark (2000), Distinguished Service (1984), and POLY Fellows (2010).

 

He is survived by his wife Jane Cunningham Vogl (formerly of Sag Harbor, LI) of 60 years, two children, Eric G. Vogl and Yvonne V. Marsh and 8 grandchildren.