Biography:Bruce Hornbrook Sage

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Short description: American chemical engineer
Bruce Hornbrook Sage
Born1909-11-24 (0009-11-24)[1]
DiedJanuary 1983 (1983-02) (aged 73)[1]
Education
Known forrocket propulsion development
Spouse(s)
  • Ruth[2]
  • Helen Johanne Houck (m. 2 April 1965)[3][4]
AwardsMedal for Merit
Scientific career
FieldsChemical engineering
Institutions
ThesisStudies of Thermal and Physical Properties of Hydrocarbons (1934)
Doctoral advisorWilliam Noble Lacey

Bruce Hornbrook Sage (24 November 1909– January 1983) was a chemical engineer who taught chemical engineering at the California Institute of Technology from 1931 to 1974.[7]

Early career

Sage received his bachelor's degree at New Mexico State College in 1929[8][9] and his Master of Science degree in 1931 and Doctor of Philosophy degree in 1934 at Caltech, all in chemical engineering.[7] He worked on the design of tactical missiles at Eaton Canyon during World War II[9][10] before joining the Naval Ordnance Test Station near Inyokern, California, as associate director of engineering and head of the explosives department in 1945.[9][11] In 1950, he was named senior consultant to the technical director there.[9] He also served as a technical advisor to Aerojet General from 1950 to 1969.[7]

Honors

In 1948, Sage, along with Lee A. DuBridge, William A. Fowler, Max Mason, and Linus Pauling, was awarded the Medal for Merit by President Harry S. Truman.[12][13]

At the convention of the American Chemical Society held in Atlantic City, New Jersey, Sage was given the Precision Scientific Co. award of US$1,000 (equivalent to US$10,745 in 2019) on 19 September 1949, to "recognize, encourage, and stimulate research achievement in the field of petroleum chemistry in United States and Canada."[11][14] He received US$1,000 awards again in 1963 (equivalent to US$8,351 in 2019)[15] and in 1968 (equivalent to US$7,352 in 2019), this time for "distinguished service to his country in the design and development of solid-propellant rockets and for his research contributions to basic chemistry."[16]

The Society of Petroleum Engineers named Sage as the winner of the annual AIME Anthony F. Lucas Gold Medal on 17 February 1954 in New York City ;[17][18] the citation read:

  • For his distinguished achievements in research on the phase behavior and thermodynamics of petroleum hydrocarbons;
  • for the development of ingenious techniques and equipment for the study of these materials under petroleum reservoir conditions;
  • for the resourceful application of mathematics in extending the range of prediction of the behavior of hydrocarbons over a wide range of pressure and temperature;
  • and for his marked contribution to the present-day concepts of good petroleum engineering practice.

On 29 November 1956 in New York City , the American Rocket Society presented Sage with their Clarence N. Hickman Award for his work with propellants in jet propulsion.[19] At the invitation of the Academy of Sciences of the Soviet Union, Sage visited Russia for two weeks in the summer of 1958 to discuss differences in the field of steam research.[20] In 1959, he received the William H. Walker Award for Excellence in Contributions to Chemical Engineering Literature from the American Institute of Chemical Engineers.[21][22] In 1968, the Union Oil Company of California donated US$250,000 (equivalent to US$1,838,038 in 2019) to Caltech for two chemical engineering fellowships: one to be named for Bruce Sage, the other for his long-time collaborator, William N. Lacey.[23]

Works

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 "Bruce Sage (1909 - 1983) - Laguna Niguel, California" (in en). https://www.ancientfaces.com/person/bruce-sage-birth-1909-death-1983/88393783. 
  2. Billheimer, Ruth (1961-04-09). "Gabbing About" (in en-US). Pasadena Independent Star-News: p. 84. https://www.newspapers.com/image/31765805. 
  3. "California, U.S., Marriage Index, 1960-1985" (in en-US). https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/48349:1144. 
  4. "Death Notices". Los Angeles Times: p. 73. 1985-06-13. ISSN 0458-3035. OCLC 474112039. https://www.newspapers.com/image/401558150/?article=4b9339ee-eecd-41e1-a67d-0a2116668ade&focus=0.26889133,0.7417562,0.3795494,0.7863076&xid=3355. 
  5. "Miami Teacher Dies in New York". Miami Times: p. 5. 1942-07-01. https://www.newspapers.com/clip/77720722/the-miami-news/?xid=637. 
  6. "Las Cruces Pioneer Dies at Home Sunday" (in en-US). El Paso Times: p. 84. 1958-06-02. https://www.newspapers.com/image/430518321/?article=92ce9516-7cc2-4d32-b476-bd7bcc72e36d&focus=0.25906798,0.22221415,0.37759948,0.35218453&xid=3355. 
  7. 7.0 7.1 7.2 "Sage, Bruce Hornbrook (Chemical Engineer)" (in en-US). https://collections.archives.caltech.edu/agents/people/363. 
  8. "Staff of Instruction and Research" (in en-US). Bulletin of the California Institute of Technology 47 (1): 27. https://campuspubs.library.caltech.edu/22/1/1938.pdf. 
  9. 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 "Bruce H. Sage Gets New Position at China Lake" (in en-US). The Fresno Bee: p. 19. 1950-07-17. OCLC 28298964. https://www.newspapers.com/image/707181024. 
  10. Hunley, J. D. (June 1999). "The History of Solid-Propellant Rocketry: What We Do and Do Not Know" (in en-US). 35th AIAA, ASME, SAE, ASEE Joint Propulsion Conference and Exhibit. p. 3. doi:10.2514/6.1999-2925. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/dryden/pdf/88635main_H-2330.pdf. 
  11. 11.0 11.1 "Professor at Caltech to Get Award of $1000" (in en-US). Los Angeles Times: p. 28. 1949-08-27. ISSN 0458-3035. OCLC 47411203. https://www.newspapers.com/image/381290115. 
  12. "Presidential Medal for Merit. February 2, 1948. - Published Papers and Official Documents - Linus Pauling and the International Peace Movement" (in en-US). http://scarc.library.oregonstate.edu/coll/pauling/peace/papers/1948h.1.html. 
  13. "5 Caltech Scientists to Get War Medals" (in en-US). Pasadena Independent: p. 8. 1948-10-03. https://www.newspapers.com/image/619587254. 
  14. "Professor at Caltech Wins Award" (in en-US). Pasadena Independent: p. 5. 1949-08-28. https://www.newspapers.com/image/619428623. 
  15. "California Trio Wins Chemical Society Awards" (in en-US). Modesto Bee and News-Herald 86 (217): p. 11. 1963-09-10. OCLC 20704347. https://www.newspapers.com/image/693539859. 
  16. "Caltech Man Wins Award in Chemistry" (in en-US). Pasadena Independent: p. 74. 1964-04-09. https://www.newspapers.com/image/65152483. 
  17. "Bruce Hornbrook Sage | The American Institute of Mining, Metallurgical, and Petroleum Engineers" (in en-US). https://aimehq.org/what-we-do/awards/aime-anthony-f-lucas-gold-medal/bruce-hornbrook-sage. 
  18. "Research Wins Award for Caltech Professor" (in en-US). Pasadena Independent: p. 13. 1954-02-17. https://www.newspapers.com/image/619857688. 
  19. "Rocket Honor Won by Four Southlanders" (in en-US). Los Angeles Times: p. 5. 1956-11-30. https://www.newspapers.com/image/694034051. 
  20. "Red Chinese Threat Cited by Speaker" (in en-US). Pasadena Independent: p. 3. 1960-02-06. https://www.newspapers.com/image/38876575. 
  21. "Honored" (in en-US). Los Angeles Times: p. 252. 1959-10-25. ISSN 0458-3035. OCLC 474112039. https://www.newspapers.com/image/381205002. 
  22. "Dr. Bruce Sage to Get Award" (in en-US). Pasadena Independent: p. 15. 1959-10-17. https://www.newspapers.com/image/38945787. 
  23. "New Support for Caltech Development" (in en-US). Pasadena Independent Star-News: p. 3. 1968-08-18. https://www.newspapers.com/image/31811789.