Los Angeles County
Biographies
WALTER
AUGUST SCHMIDT
SCHMIDT, WALTER AUGUST, Chemical Engineer, Los Angeles, California, was born in that city August 26, 1883, the son of August Schmidt and Adelhaid (Ott) Schmidt, two of the early residents of Southern California. His father, who was a pioneer carriage manufacturer in Los Angeles, first arrived in California in 1868. He settled in Los Angeles the following year, and was married there in 1877.
Walter A. Schmidt received the preliminary part of his education in the public schools of Los Angeles, graduating from the High School in the class of 1901. He then entered the College of Chemistry of the University of California and was graduated in 1906 with the degree of Bachelor of Science. While at college Mr. Schmidt took an active part in athletics and was stroke on the Varsity crew. Mr. Schmidt was also elected to Sigma Xi, an academic scientific society.
Following his graduation, Mr. Schmidt returned to Los Angeles and took over the business management of his father’s estate, devoting his time to this for two years subsequently. In 1908 he opened offices in Los Angeles for the practice of his profession of Chemical Engineering, and in addition to his general work served in special capacities for the Western Precipitation Company, at that time a San Francisco corporation. He was thus engaged until the spring of 1910, when he took up the study of various scientific problems and devoted his entire time to them. These included the control of smelter fumes and the application of the Cottrell Precipitation Processes to the problem of the control of injurious dust arising from Portland cement factories.
To the average person the value of these works may not be wholly apparent, but to those who have lived in the vicinity of either a smelting plant or a cement factory the unpleasant fumes and injurious dusts are quite well known; and the results of Mr. Schmidt’s work have had not only an economizing effect upon the industries, but show a marked improvement in the health of the workmen and the general public. The fundamentals of Mr. Schmidt’s processes are the discoveries of Frederick G. Cottrell.
With the reorganization of the Western Precipitation Company in 1911, Mr. Schmidt, although a man comparatively young in years, was chosen President and General Manager of the corporation, and in this dual capacity has continued his scientific experiments, in addition to conducting the general engineering business of the company.
Mr. Schmidt is also President of a similar company known as the International Precipitation Company, whose home office is located in Los Angeles, and through it he holds patent rights on the Electrical Precipitation Processes for the control of smoke, dusts, and chemical fumes, in most of the foreign countries. Besides specializing in electro-chemistry the company takes up special development of engineering processes, questions of chemical fumes and allied problems, and is equipping some of the largest of industrial plants.
Mr. Schmidt is a member of the American Chemical Society, and maintains an active interest in the progress of the science; and through his own experiments and writings, has attained a position among the substantial men of the profession.
Mr. Schmidt has been interested for many years in social and civic problems of Los Angeles and served for three years as President of the Humane Commission. He was appointed to this office by Mayor Alexander, when about twenty-six years of age, and administered its affairs until his other interests compelled his resignation in June, 1912. His work was characterized by enthusiasm and intelligence.
Mr. Schmidt is a member of the University Club, Gamut Club and Sierra Madre Club.
Transcribed 4-30-10
Marilyn R. Pankey.
Source: Press
Reference Library, Western Edition Notables of the West, Vol. I, Page 400, International News Service, New York, Chicago, San
Francisco, Los Angeles, Boston, Atlanta.
1913.
© 2010 Marilyn R. Pankey.
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