Chapter 6 Arnold Stancell 1992 Black Engineer of the Year Arnold Stancell majored in chemical engineering at the City College of New York. Like his contemporary John Slaughter, Stancell grew up without knowing much about Black scientists and engineers who came before. In 1958, Stancell graduated with his B.S. in chemical engineering and moved up to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Four years later, Stancell began his own career of “firsts.” He was MIT’s first Black doctor of chemical engineering. During a 10-year stint at Mobil Research, Dr. Stancell developed nine patented processes for making plastics. Still in his research mode, Dr. Stancell opened up a new field of investigation into plasma reactions. He rose to manager of chemical process development, then took a short break to return to his alma mater. On leave from Mobil, Dr. Stancell served as associate professor of chemical engineering at MIT for the academic year 1970–1971. He enjoyed early success mentoring and inspiring a doctoral student, David Lam, who later founded Lam Research, leading maker of plasma etchers for the making of computer chips. Impressed, MIT offered him a tenured post, but Dr. Stancell was headed for bigger things as a manager back at Mobil. In 1975, NOBCChE, the National Organization for the Professional Advancement of Black Chemists and Chemical Engineers, recognized Stancell’s accomplishments with a Professional Achievement Award. Working as the general manager of Mobil’s plastics business, Dr. Stancell revolutionized the packaging industry with a clear plastic that totally replaced the ubiquitous cellophane. He also developed the plastic base for PVC pipes, a vastly cheaper competitor to copper for indoor plumbing.
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