Hugh Winn

1918–2001

Mr. Hugh Winn was born in St. Louis Missouri in April 1918. He attended Michigan Tech and graduated with a BS in Chemical Engineering in 1940. Hugh, the son of a Civil Engineer, had three brothers, two of who attended Michigan Tech, one in Mining Engineering and the other in Electrical Engineering. Following graduation, Hugh joined Dow Chemical Company where he worked on the development of Saran.

During the Second World War, Hugh was an Assistant Professor of Chemical Engineering and Director of the plastics laboratory at Case Western Reserve University. While at Case Western, Hugh completed his MS in 1944 and his Ph.D. in 1948, both in Chemical Engineering. In 1949 Hugh joined the Physical and Chemical Research Laboratory of Firestone Tire and Rubber Company. He worked for Firestone until 1955 when he joined the General Electric Company where he worked for the next 25 years. His early work was focused on missile re-entry systems at the GE Missile Division in Schenectady, NY and Philadelphia, PA. In 1959 he was made Manager of Research Operations and Application Engineering and then Manager of Data Processing and Computation in Philadelphia. Shortly thereafter, he moved to Schenectady and later to Richmond Heights, OH as Manager of Engineering for the lamp and glass department. He was Manager of Engineering Tactical Programs for the GE lamp glass department when he retired in 1980.

Hugh married Martha Merila from Hancock in 1939 and they had three sons. Martha passed away in 1992 after 53 years of marriage. Hugh is a life Trustee of the Michigan Tech Fund, a member of the Presidents Club, and the Second Center Society. He endowed the Martha and Hugh Winn Scholarship in 1993. Dr. Hugh Winn passed away in January 2001.

From 2000 Induction to the Department of Chemical Engineering Academy