RS 11-4-14 Orland Russell Sweeney Papers

RS 11/4/14
Sweeney, O. R. (Orland Russel) (1883-1958)
Papers, 1916-2002, n.d.

Special Collections Department
403 Parks Library
Iowa State University
Ames, IA 50011-2140

Descriptive summary

creator:	Sweeney, O. R. (Orland Russel) (1883-1958)
title:	Papers
dates:	1916-2002, n.d.
extent:	4.27 linear ft. (6 document boxes, 1 oversized box, and 1 map case folder)
collection number:	RS 11/4/14
repository:	University Archives, Special Collections Department, Iowa State University.

Administrative information

access:	Open for research
publication rights:	Consult Head, Special Collections Department
preferred citation:	Orland Russell Sweeney Papers, RS 11/4/14, Special Collections Department, Iowa State University Library

Biographical note

Orland Russell Sweeney was born to Robert and Elizabeth Sweeney on March 27, 1882, in Martins Ferry, Ohio. He received his B.S. (1909) in chemical engineering and his M.S. (1910) from The Ohio State University. He received his Ph.D. (1916) from the University of Pennsylvania. He was Instructor of chemistry at The Ohio State University (1910-1911) and at the University of Pennsylvania (1911-1916). After receiving his doctoral degree, Dr. Sweeney joined the staff at North Dakota Agricultural College (North Dakota State University) as Associate Professor (1916-1917) of industrial chemistry.

During World War I, Dr. Sweeney entered the Trench Warfare Service of the U.S. Army Ordnance Department as Captain. He was promoted to Major, and when the Chemical Warfare Service was organized he was sent to the Edgewood Arsenal in Maryland to develop and operate some of the larger chemical plants. He developed a method for the manufacture of chloropicrin gas which he patented in the name of the United States government.

After the war, Dr. Sweeney became Head (1919-1920) of the Chemical Engineering Department at the University of Cincinnati. He joined the staff at Iowa State College (University) as Professor (1920-1952) and Head (1920-1948) of the Department of Chemical Engineering and remained there until his retirement.

Dr. Sweeney was a pioneer in the commercial utilization of agricultural waste products. He developed methods for manufacturing paper and wallboards out of cornstalks and corncobs, researched the production of the industrial chemical furfural from oat hulls, and developed processing methods for soybeans. Dr. Sweeney’s research in synthetic lumber from cornstalks directly resulted in the development of the Maizewood Products Corporation manufacturing plant at Dubuque, Iowa. Dr. Sweeney also researched the zeolite process for softening water, the production of Dakin’s solution (a medical antiseptic), the manufacture of chemical poison gases, and numerous other topics of interest. His research and inventions resulted in over 300 patents which he held or co-held.

Dr. Sweeney served on several professional organizations and governmental boards. He was Chairman of the Greater Iowa Commission and during World War II he served as consultant to the chemical branch of the War Production Board in Washington, D.C. He was a member of the American Chemical Society, Iowa Engineering Society, and the American Institute of Chemical Engineers.

Dr. Sweeney married Louella Dubois Smith on October 25, 1919. Together they had two children, Elizabeth and Jacqueline. Dr. Sweeney died on April 21, 1958, and is buried at Martin’s Ferry, Ohio.

Collection description

The collection (1916-2002, n.d.) contains biographical information, correspondence, research papers, and patents relating to the work of Dr. Orland Russell Sweeney. The collection includes personal and administrative correspondence, but the majority of the letters are in regards to his research projects and patents. The collection also contains an assortment of technical papers authored by Dr. Sweeney including a copy of his dissertation. The material relating to Dr. Sweeney’s patents include applications, correspondence with the patent attorney, and copies of the patents. The collection also includes correspondence and reports related to his research and consultation projects. Contracts, correspondence, and publications relating to the Maizewood Products Corporation can also be found in this collection. Original copies of several newspapers printed on newsprint made from cornstalk pulp are also contained in this collection.

Organization

The collection is organized into six series:
Series 1, Biographical Information, 1929-2002, n.d. (alphabetical)
Series 2, Correspondence, 1923-1946, n.d. (alphabetical)
Series 3, Papers, Speeches, and Statements, 1916-1950, n.d. (alphabetical)
Series 4, Patents, 1922-1944, n.d. (alphabetical)
Series 5, Research and Consulting Projects, 1923-1950, n.d. (alphabetical)

Description of series


Series 1	Biographical information	1929-2002, n.d.
extent:	0.10 linear ft. (3 folders)
description:	The series includes biographies, correspondence, and news clippings documenting Dr. Sweeney’s career. Information regarding his portrait are also included.

Container list

Box	Folder	Title	Dates
1	1	General Information and News Articles	1929-2002, n.d.
1	2	Honors and Portrait Unveiling	1936-1997
1	3	Memorials	1958-1975

Description of series


Series 2	Correspondence	1923-1946, n.d.
extent:	0.32 linear ft. (13 folders)
description:	The series contains personal, administrative, and committee correspondence. Included are letters resulting from administering the Department of Chemical Engineering at Iowa State College (University). Correspondence with committees and organizations Dr. Sweeney was affiliated with including the Greater Iowa Commission, American Institute of Chemical Engineers, and the War Production Board is also included.

Container list

Box	Folder	Title	Dates
1	4-5	Administrative	1929-1946
1	6	American Institute of Chemical Engineers: Correspondence	1933, 1941
1	7	Appraisal Committee of Federal Work Relief Program Funding in Iowa: Correspondence	1938
1	8-9	General	1923-1945, n.d.
1	10	Greater Iowa Commission, Investigation of General Insulating and Manufacturing Company, Dubuque: Correspondence	1937-1938
1	11	Greater Iowa Commission: Correspondence and Reports	1937-1939
1	12	Iowa State Planning Board: Correspondence	1934-1938, n.d.
1	13	Midwest Research Institute: Correspondence	1944-1945
1	14	Ohio State University Colleagues	1930-1943
1	15	Personal	1930-1945
1	16	War Production Board: Correspondence	1942, 1944

Description of series

Series 3

Papers, Speeches, and Statements

1916-1950, n.d.

extent:

0.21 linear ft. (0.5 document box)

description:

The series contains reprints of a number of Dr. Sweeney’s research papers and technical articles. The papers document Dr. Sweeney’s research in the commercial utilization of cornstalks, corncobs and other agricultural byproducts. The series also lists papers regarding Dr. Sweeney’s research in furfural production, water softening, the production of antiseptic solutions, and soybean processing. A copy of his dissertation and several speeches are also included. Finally, the series contains two statements presented during Congressional subcommittee hearings regarding farm crop utilization and soybean processing.

Container list

Box	Folder	Title	Dates
1	17	Dissertation: “I. A Separation of Arsenic, Antimony and Vanadium from Tungsten. II. On the Complex Bismuthico Tungstates”	1916
1	18	Listing of Publications	n.d.
1	19	Paper: “The Chemical Examination of Natural Brines”	1917
1	20	Paper: “The Chemurgic Future”	1938
1	21	Paper: “Commercial Process for Tanning”	1921
1	22	Paper: “Cornstalks as an Industrial Raw Material”	1930
1	23	Paper: “The Determination of Sulfur Dioxide”	1917
1	24	Paper: “The Determination of the Total Fixed Nitrogen Content of Power Plant Flue Gases”	1941
1	25	Paper: “The Effect of Branched Alkyl Groups on the Anti-Knock Properties of the Butyl Triethyl Lead Compounds”	1930
1	26	Paper: “An Electrolytic Apparatus for the Production of Antiseptic Sodium Hypochlorite Solution”	1933
1	27	Paper: “Estimation of the Composition of Three-Component Liquid Mixtures”	1940
1	28	Paper: “Experimental Studies on the Destructive Distillation of Corncobs”	1931
1	29	Paper: “Extraction of Soybean Oil by Trichloroethylene”	1949
1	30	Paper: “Furfural Utilization Studies”	1950
1	31	Paper: “The Future of Chemistry in Agriculture”	1931
1	32	Paper: “How Can the Industry Get and Hold Competent Technicians? Criticism and Books”	1937
2	1	Paper: “An Improved Hydrogen Chloride Generator”	1917
2	2	Paper: “A Method of Maintaining the Proper Copper Concentration in the Treatment of Water”	1941
2	3	Paper: “Moisture Relations in the Manufacture and Use of Cornstalk Insulating Board”	1948
2	4	Paper: “A New Solvent Extraction Process for Soybean Oil”	1949
2	5	Paper: “Paper from Cornstalks” (unpublished)	n.d.
2	6	Paper: “Paper Pulp from Cereal Straws by a Modified Sulfate Process”	1936
2	7	Paper: “Permanent Filter Mats in Gooch Crucibles”	1924
2	8	Paper: “Plastics from Agricultural By-Products”	1941
2	9	Paper: “Present Procedure for Production of Cholesterol from Wool Fat”	1942
2	10	Paper: “Processing the Soybean”	1929
2	11	Paper: “Processing the Soybean” (Revised)	1935
2	12	Paper: “The Production of Chloropicrin as Needed from Dry Mixtures of Picric Acid and Bleaching Powder”	1940
2	13	Paper: “The Production of Oxygen from Lime and Chlorine”	1930
2	14	Paper: “The Production of Paper from Cornstalks”	1930
2	15	Paper: “Production of Pressboard from Cornstalks”	1936
2	16	Paper: “Recent Progress in Chemical Engineering”	1937
2	17	Paper: “The Removal of Fluorides from Water by Ionic Exchange”	1940
2	18	Paper: “Separation of Cholesterol from Degras”	1945
2	19	Paper: “Studies on the Manufacture of Insulating Board”	1937
2	20	Paper: “What are Cornstalks Good for, Anyway?”	1928
2	21	Speech: “Greater Industrial Development of Iowa by More Intensive Utilization of Agricultural Waste”	1927
2	22	Speech: “Utilization of Agricultural Products”	1937
2	23	Speech: “Utilizing Waste Products”	1930
2	24	Statement before Congressional Subcommittee on Utilization of Farm Crops	1944
2	25	Statement to Congressional Subcommittee on Processing the Soybean	1943

Description of series

Series 4

Patents

1922-1944, n.d.

extent:

0.84 linear ft. (2 document boxes)

description:

The series contains materials related to a number of Dr. Sweeney’s patents. The materials include applications, correspondence with patent attorneys and the U.S. Patent Office, and copies of the patents. This collection contains only a sampling of the more than 300 patents Dr. Sweeney obtained, but is a fair representation of the research and inventions he developed. The materials include patent information on various types of synthetic lumber Dr. Sweeney created using cornstalks and corncobs along with the machines developed to make many of these materials. Patent information on his research in the production of Carrel-Dakin solution and water softening methods are also included.

Container list

Box	Folder	Title	Dates
2	26	Acoustic Board: Correspondence	1930-1931
2	27	Antiseptic Hypochlorite by Electrolysis: Application and Correspondence	1930-1932, n.d.
2	28	Board Forming Machine: Correspondence	1929-1931
2	29	Correspondence: Patents	1925-1944, n.d.
2	30	Fiber Board: Correspondence	1926, n.d.
2	31	Insulating Lumber: Correspondence	1929-1931, n.d.
2	32	Listing of Patents	n.d.
2	33-34	Mat Board Handling Machine, No. 2,084,980: Application and Correspondence	1934-1936, n.d.
2	35	Method of Making Hard Lumber Substitute, No. 1,772,502: Application, Correspondence, and Copy of Patent	1928-1932
3	1	Method of Preventing the Growth of Algae, No. 1,915,874: Application, Correspondence, and Copy of Patent	1930-1933
3	2	Method of Separating Products Obtained in the Oxidation of Hydrocarbons, No. 2,024,954: Application, Correspondence, and Copy of Patent	1933-1935, n.d.
3	3	Moldable Phenolic Pentosan Material, Nos. 1,797,559 and 1,797,593: Application, Correspondence, and Copies of Patents	1924-1932, n.d.
3	4	Phenol Separating Process: Correspondence	1932-1938, n.d.
3	5	Pith Board: Application and Correspondence	1930-1933, n.d.
3	6	Process and Apparatus for Electrolytic Production of Carrel-Dakin Solution, No. 1,940,612: Application and Correspondence	1931-1934
3	7	Process and Apparatus for Electrolytic Production of Carrel-Dakin Solution: Canadian Patent Application and Correspondence	1932-1933
3	8	Process for Partial Oxidation of Gaseous Hydrocarbons, No. 1,963,070: Application, Correspondence, and Copy of Patent	1932-1934, n.d.
3	9	Process for Producing Synthetic Lumber that is Not Attacked by Insects, No. 1,937,366: Application and Correspondence	1931-1933, n.d.
3	10	Process for Producing Synthetic Lumber that is Not Attacked by Insects, No. 1,938,227: Application and Correspondence	1931-1933, n.d.
3	11	Process for Producing Synthetic Lumber that is Not Attacked by Molds, No. 1,946,952: Application, Correspondence, and Copy of Patent	1930-1934, n.d.
3	12	Process for Producing Synthetic Lumber that is Not Attacked by Molds, No. 1,946,953: Application, Correspondence, and Copy of Patent	1931-1934, n.d.
3	13	Process of and Apparatus for the Manufacture of Synthetic Lumber, No. 1,846,406: Application, Correspondence, and Copy of Patent	1930-1932, n.d.
3	14	Process of Elaborating Corn Stalks into Pulp for Use in Paper Making and the Like, No. 1,639,152: Application, Correspondence, and Copy of Patent	1925-1927
3	15	Process of Regenerating Base-Exchange Substances, No. 1,903,949: Application, Correspondence, and Copy of Patent	1925-1932, n.d.
4	1	Process of Regenerating Base-Exchange Substances, No. 1,903,949: Correspondence	1930-1933, n.d.
4	2	Process Relating to the Production of a Material from Vegetable Matter of High Pentosan Containing Pento-Cellulose Materials, No. 1,941,817 (Maizolith Patent): Application, Correspondence, and Copy of Patent	1931-1935, n.d.
4	3	Process Relating to the Production of Synthetic Lumber from Cornstalks, No. 1,803,737: Application, Correspondence, and Copy of Patent	1929-1931, n.d.
4	4	Processes of Making Chloropicrin, No. 1,413,198: Patent Certificate (Photocopy)	1922
4	5	Selenium Cell: Description	n.d.
4	6	Solvent Recovery Apparatus: Correspondence	1941-1942
4	7	Water Softening, Carrier Wave Method: Correspondence	1932
4	8	Water Softening, Semi-Automatic Method: Application and Correspondence	1931-1932, n.d.
4	9	Window, Vacuum Pane for Air Conditioning: Correspondence	1936

Description of series

Series 5

Research and Consulting Projects

1923-1950, n.d.

extent:

2.80 linear ft. (2.5 document boxes, 1 oversized box, and 1 map case folder)

description:

The series includes correspondence and reports related to Dr. Sweeney’s research and consulting projects. The correspondence includes information on his research into plastics, chemical warfare, corn alcohol, cornstalks, milkweed, and soybeans. The series also includes materials related to the Maizewood Products Corporation which acquired a number of Dr. Sweeney’s patents related to making synthetic lumber and paper out of cornstalks. Original copies of several Iowa and Midwestern papers printed on newsprint made from cornstalk pulp are located in Box 7.

Container list

Box	Folder	Title	Dates
4	10	Agricultural By-Products: Correspondence and Reports	1926-1940, n.d.
4	11-12	Carrel-Dakin Solution, Electrolytic Cell: Correspondence	1930-1942
4	13	Chemical Warfare: Correspondence	1936-1940, n.d.
4	14	Chicle Substitute: Correspondence	1939, 1942
4	15	Coal: Correspondence	1929-1944
4	16	Consulting: Contracts with General Water Treatment Corporation	1929
4	17	Corn Alcohol: Correspondence	1926-1942, n.d.
4	18	Corn Alcohol: Joint Public Hearing on the Blending of Alcohol Made from Corn, Rye, Barley, and Gasoline, for Motor Fuel (Transcript)	1933
4	19	Corn Sugar: Correspondence	1934-1940
4	20	Corncob: Correspondence	1923-1946
5	1-2	Cornstalk Plant in England: Correspondence	1929-1940, n.d.
5	3	Cornstalks: Correspondence and News Clippings	1926-1940
5	4	Furfural: Correspondence	1933-1950
MAP CASE		Good Hope, Louisiana, Butane Oxidation Plant: Blueprints of Plant Layout	1933
5	5-6	Good Hope, Louisiana, Butane Oxidation Plant: Correspondence and Reports	1931-1935, n.d.
5