Obituaries

Dan W. Follmer, a leading figure in the aerosol industry, died on Nov. 15, 2004, as a result of complications following surgery. He was 67.

Born in Forrest, Ill., Follmer graduated from Western Illinois University in 1960. He returned to graduate school in 1968 to earn a Ph.D. in chemistry from the University of California, Santa Barbara, where he worked on photochemically instituted free-radical reactions.

Follmer moved to California in 1960 and taught for two years in the Los Angeles school system. He then joined aerosol firm Western Filling and later spent two years with McDonnell Douglas before being named technical director at Aerosol Techniques.

In 1973, Follmer and his wife founded Follmer Development in Newbury Park, Calif., where he continued to work on a water-based emulsion patent granted in 1974 for cooking sprays. He eventually turned Follmer Development over to two of his sons so that he could start Chem Systems in 1987.

Follmer is survived by his wife, Helen; three sons; and four grandchildren. He joined ACS in 1956.

Yuval Halpern, a chemist retired from Argonne National Laboratory, died on Dec. 31, 2004, at the age of 64.

Born in Tel-Aviv, Israel, Halpern received a Ph.D. in chemistry from the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. He moved to Cleveland in 1969 to take a postdoctoral position at Case Western Reserve University. There, he contributed to preparative carbocation chemistry research with George A. Olah that eventually won Olah the 1994 Nobel Prize in Chemistry.

Halpern moved back to Israel in 1972 to serve as a professor at the Hebrew University, then returned to the U.S. in 1977 to join Borg Warner Chemicals in Parkersburg, W.Va. He later moved to Borg Warner's laboratories in Illinois, where he became a leader in flame-retardant compositions.

Halpern went on to serve as director of the advanced technology group and manager of advanced waste technology at Chemical Waste Management, where he was responsible for long-range chemical studies.

At Argonne National Lab, Halpern's team developed technology to produce nontoxic, environmentally friendly "green solvents" from renewable carbohydrate feedstocks such as cornstarch. This accomplishment won several national awards, including the Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Award, the Discover Magazine Award for Technology Innovation, and a Federal Laboratory Consortium Technology Transfer Award.

Per his wishes, Halpern was laid to rest in Kfar Tabor, Israel. He is survived by his wife, Ruth; three sons; and four grandchildren. He joined ACS in 1979.

Eric R. Larsen, a research chemist retired from Dow Chemical Co., Midland, Mich., died on April 6 at the age of 76.

Born in Port Angeles, Wash., Larsen earned a B.S. in chemistry from the University of Washington in 1950 and a Ph.D. in organic chemistry in 1954 from the University of Colorado. He also served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War.

Larsen joined Dow Chemical in the chemical engineering laboratory as a fluorine chemist and later became an associate scientist and research scientist in the halogens research laboratory.

While at Dow Chemical, Larsen conducted research on topics such as flame inhibitors, inhalation anesthetics, chain-transfer agents, and inorganic bromides. Larsen retired from Dow in 1986 but continued to serve as a consultant for various chemical companies. He was also a member of the editorial advisory board of the Journal of Fire Sciences since its inception in 1983.

Larsen was preceded in death by his wife, Donna, in 1991. He is survived by a son, three daughters, six grandchildren, a brother, and a sister. An emeritus member, he joined ACS in 1955.

Jerry L. Mills, professor emeritus of chemistry at Texas Tech University, died on March 17 at the age of 62.

A native of Midland, Texas, Mills earned a B.S. in 1965 and a Ph.D. in 1969 from the University of Texas. He undertook postdoctoral work at the university before moving to Lubbock to teach at Texas Tech.

Mills's research focused on inorganic chemistry, including the synthesis, structure, and reactivity of main-group and other non-transition-metal compounds. He also had a long-term interest in the polymers of group 5 elements as well as Lewis acid-base interactions.

Mills held several administrative roles in the department of chemistry and biochemistry, including serving as associate chair from 1975 to 1982. He was a member of the Royal Society of Chemistry, the Association of University Professors, and the Texas Academy of Science. For ACS, Mills served at various points as secretary, chair, councilor, and student affiliate adviser for the South Plains Section.

Mills retired from full-time teaching after 22 years at Texas Tech. He dedicated the rest of his time to pursuing his second love, cooking, and moved to Waimea, Hawaii, to open his own restaurant. Mills joined ACS in 1969.

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.