EMIL H ISAACSON

In the first semester of his sophomore year (1959), Emil received an invitation to a “smoker” at ΑΧΣ. He pledged and signed a contract to move into the house that January. The invitation was tendered a year too early due to a clerical error by his advisor, Dr. Hanratty. He was later informed that this caused a rather spirited debate among the members. However, his housing contract was honored and he moved into the house. Since he was the youngest known pledge, the “Mounds” (Sherman, Fusco, Scheele et al.) immediately nicknamed him “The Kid”. Five semesters later, after rooming with an undergrad Chemistry major whose name he has forgotten, Bernie Shapiro, Jonathon Yatabe, George Scheele and James Cote (Yogi Bear), he graduated (June 1962). During his tenure at the ΑΧΣ house he rose to the exalted position of member of the Crock Trophy Committee.

He received a Masters from Northwestern and a PhD Chem. Eng. from Iowa State in 1968. He was then employed by Dupont as a process engineer developing a process for PRD 27 which is now known as Kevlar. In 1970 he began his academic career by becoming a visiting Professor of Chemical Engineering at the Catholic University. In 1972 he joined the University of the District of Columbia and was later promoted to Professor of Engineering and Technology. He also served as a Department Chair. In 1995 he took an early retirement; (they bought him out with an offer he could not refuse). He has been a consultant to Exxon, Owens Corning Fibreglas and Jack Dart and Associates in the field of process economics and petrochemical modeling. He also served as a commissioner for the Technology Accreditation Commission of ABET and as Chairman of the Technicians Affairs Committee of AICHE.

Upon retirement he moved to Palm Harbor Florida where he now enjoys genealogy research and lecturing and his Lionel trains.