Advertisement
Grab your lab coat. Let's get started
Welcome!
Welcome!
Create an account below to get 6 C&EN articles per month, receive newsletters and more - all free.
It seems this is your first time logging in online. Please enter the following information to continue.
As an ACS member you automatically get access to this site. All we need is few more details to create your reading experience.
Not you? Sign in with a different account.
Not you? Sign in with a different account.
ERROR 1
ERROR 1
ERROR 2
ERROR 2
ERROR 2
ERROR 2
ERROR 2
Password and Confirm password must match.
If you have an ACS member number, please enter it here so we can link this account to your membership. (optional)
ERROR 2
ACS values your privacy. By submitting your information, you are gaining access to C&EN and subscribing to our weekly newsletter. We use the information you provide to make your reading experience better, and we will never sell your data to third party members.
People
Joe W. Hightower
by Susan J. Ainsworth
January 19, 2015
| A version of this story appeared in
Volume 93, Issue 3
Joe W. Hightower, 77, a professor emeritus of chemical and biomolecular engineering at Rice University, died on July 25, 2014, in Houston.
Born in Morrilton, Ark., Hightower earned a B.S. in chemistry, math, and physics in 1959 at Harding College in Searcy, Ark., before earning a Ph.D. in physical chemistry in 1963 from Johns Hopkins University under Paul H. Emmett.
He then completed postdoctoral fellowships at Queen’s University Belfast in Northern Ireland and Mellon Institute (now Carnegie Mellon University) in Pittsburgh.
In 1967, he joined the department of chemical engineering at Rice University, where he would remain for 34 years and become an expert in heterogeneous catalysis.
At Rice, he also held many administrative roles, including chair of the Tenure & Ethics Committee and director of sponsored research.
He consulted for catalysis and oil processing companies and testified before the House of Representatives Committee on Science & Technology as it drafted legislation requiring catalytic converters in cars.
Hightower was an emeritus member of ACS, joining in 1965. He chaired the ACS Petroleum Research Fund for five years, was active in the Houston section, and served as a councilor. He received ACS’s George A. Olah Award in Hydrocarbon or Petroleum Chemistry in 1973 and was named an ACS Fellow in 2011.
He cofounded Hospitality Apartments, which provides free temporary housing for families in need who are receiving treatment at the Texas Medical Center. He was also well-known for distributing his freshly baked sourdough bread to friends and new Hospitality Apartments residents.
Hightower is survived by his wife, Ann, and his daughter, Amy.
Obituary notices of no more than 300 words may be sent to Susan J. Ainsworth at s_ainsworth@acs.org and should include an educational and professional history.
You might also like...
The power is now in your (nitrile gloved) hands
Sign up for a free account to get more articles. Or choose the ACS option that’s right for you.
Already have an ACS ID? Log in
Join the conversation
Contact the reporter
Submit a Letter to the Editor for publication
Engage with us on Twitter