Advertisement

If you have an ACS member number, please enter it here so we can link this account to your membership. (optional)

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.

ENJOY UNLIMITED ACCES TO C&EN

Environment

Obituaries

by Victoria Gilman
May 30, 2005 | A version of this story appeared in Volume 83, Issue 22

Joseph C. Arcos, a retired senior science adviser for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, died of cardiac arrest on Dec. 31, 2004, at the age of 83.

Widely recognized as an expert on chemical carcinogens, Arcos received the 1987 ACS Award for Creative Advances in Environmental Science & Technology for his seven-volume series titled "Chemical Induction of Cancer."

A native of Nagykanizsa, Hungary, Arcos earned advanced degrees in chemistry and chemical engineering from the University of Cluj in Transylvania, Romania; the College of France, Paris; and the University of Paris. He then came to the U.S. and contributed to cancer research at the University of Wisconsin, the University of Florida, and Tulane University Medical School.

Arcos joined EPA in 1979 to help implement the Toxic Substances Control Act of 1976. His research focused on the role of enzymes in triggering carcinogens and how chemical structure influences biological activity. He also led a team that developed two computer models for predicting an untested chemical's carcinogenic potential. Arcos retired from EPA in 1998 but continued to serve as science adviser for the agency and as a clinical professor emeritus at Tulane.

In addition to his work at EPA, Arcos was the founding editor of Environmental Carcinogenesis & Ecotoxicology Reviews, associate editor of Cancer Research, section editor for the Journal of the American College of Toxicology, and an editorial advisory board member for Global Bioethics. He published more than 160 papers and wrote or edited 14 books.

Arcos is survived by his wife and research partner, Mary; a son; and two granddaughters.

 

Walter P. Barie Jr., a research chemist retired from Reichhold Chemicals, Sewickly, Pa., died on Dec. 27, 2004, at the age of 78.

A native of Pittsburgh, Barie earned a B.S. in 1950 and an M.S. in 1951--both in chemistry--from Duquesne University. He received a Ph.D. from Pennsylvania State University in 1954.

Following graduation, Barie began a 29-year career with Gulf Oil Corp., Pittsburgh, as a research chemist. Although he started work in the field of inorganic chemistry, his primary research interests were concentrated in the areas of organic resins, coatings, and adhesives.

Barie left Gulf Oil in 1983 to take a position with Reichhold as a senior research chemist. He retired in 1987 but spent several years as a part-time consultant for PPG Industries.

Barie is survived by his wife, a son, and four grandchildren. An emeritus member, he joined ACS in 1951.

 

Ernst M. Cohn, a physical chemist retired from the National Aeronautics & Space Administration, died on Dec. 29, 2004, at the age of 84.

Born in Mainz, Germany, Cohn came to the U.S. in 1936 and served with the U.S. Army during the Nuremberg trials. He later attended the University of Pittsburgh, where he earned a B.S. in 1942. After graduation, he joined the U.S. Bureau of Mines as a physical chemist, during which time he continued his studies at Pittsburgh and earned an M.S. in 1952.

In 1953, he transferred to the Bureau of Mines office in Washington, D.C., where he eventually became manager of coal research. From 1960 to 1962, he worked on fuel-cell research for the Army's Research Office, and in 1962, he joined NASA as an administrator.

Cohn left NASA in 1976 to serve as a columnist for Energy magazine and focus on his hobby of stamp collecting. He was a member of several philatelic societies around the world and was widely regarded for his expertise in the stamps and postal history of France, Scandinavia, and Germany. An emeritus member, he joined ACS in 1943.

 

Sigmund H. Jaffe, emeritus professor of chemistry at California State University, Los Angeles, died on Jan. 3 at the age of 83.

During World War II, Jaffe served in the U.S. Navy and was in charge of the engine room on landing ship tanks participating in major landings in North Africa, Italy, France, and the Pacific. During the D-Day invasion, he was among a handful of survivors when his ship, fully loaded with troops and tanks, was torpedoed in the English Channel.

After the war, Jaffe worked at Ames Laboratory, in Iowa, from 1949 to 1953, then at Air Reduction Corp., Murray Hill, N.J., as supervisor of experimental physics and chemistry from 1953 to 1958.

In 1958, Jaffe joined the faculty at California State to help form the chemistry department and become its first chair. He published 20 papers in aqueous electrochemistry, propellant chemistry, and atmospheric kinetics related to air pollution.

In addition to his active roles in academic governance and research, Jaffe consulted for Hughes Tool Co., Culver City, Calif., and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory at California Institute of Technology. He also taught on sabbatical at Queen Mary College of the University of London and twice at Weizmann Institute, in Israel.

Jaffe became an emeritus professor in 1986 and continued to teach and lecture to high school and community college students on a volunteer basis. He headed many activities at his retirement community, where he became known for his quick wit, particularly for his consummate puns.

Jaffe is survived by his wife, Elaine; two sons; and three grandsons. An emeritus member, he joined ACS in 1953.

 

Vello Norman, retired vice president of research and development at Lorillard Tobacco Corp., died on Nov. 14, 2004, at the age of 74.

A native of Pärnu, Estonia, Norman immigrated to the U.S. not long after World War II and enrolled at Ohio State University. Before he could graduate, however, he enlisted in the U.S. Air Force to serve during the Korean War.

Norman returned to school after the war and studied at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, earning a Ph.D. in physical chemistry in 1955. After graduation, Norman worked for Ethyl Corp. and Liggett & Myers Tobacco Co., where he was instrumental in developing the Lark charcoal filter for cigarettes in 1963. He joined Lorillard in 1979 and enjoyed a 20-year career.

Norman is described by friends as a nature buff who enjoyed gardening and stamp collecting. He is survived by a brother, Erik, still living in Estonia. An emeritus member, Norman joined ACS in 1963.


Obituaries are written by Victoria Gilman. Obituary notices may be sent by e-mail to v_gilman@acs.org and should include a detailed educational and professional history.

 

Article:

This article has been sent to the following recipient:

0 /1 FREE ARTICLES LEFT THIS MONTH Remaining
Chemistry matters. Join us to get the news you need.