Willis Whitfield (December 6, 1919 – November 12, 2012[1][2]) was an American physicist and inventor of the modern cleanroom, a room with a low level of pollutants used in manufacturing or scientific research. His invention earned him the nickname, "Mr. Clean," from Time Magazine.[3][4]
Willis Whitfield | |
|---|---|
| Born | December 6, 1919 |
| Died | November 12, 2012 |
| Alma mater | Hardin-Simmons University (BS) George Washington University |
| Known for | Invention of the modern clean room |
Whitfield was born in Rosedale, Oklahoma, the son of a cotton farmer.[3] Between 1942 and 1944, he served as a ground radar crew chief in the Signal Corps, later serving in the Navy until the end of World War 2. He would graduate from Hardin-Simmons University in 1952 with a Bachelor of Science in physics and mathematics, later pursuing graduate studies at George Washington University.[5]
An employee of the Sandia National Laboratories in New Mexico, Whitfield created the initial plans for the cleanroom in 1960.[3] Prior to Whitfield's invention, earlier cleanrooms often had problems with particles and unpredictable airflows.[3] Whitfield solved this problem by designing his cleanrooms with a constant, highly filtered air flow to flush out impurities in the air.[3] Within a few years of its invention, sales of Whitfield's modern cleanroom had generated more than $50 billion in sales worldwide.[3]
Whitfield retired from Sandia in 1984.[4]
Whitfield died in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on November 12, 2012, at the age of 92. His death was announced by officials at Sandia National Laboratories.[3] Two years after his death, he would be inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame.[6]
References
edit- ^ Willis Whitfield, Inventor of Clean Room That Purges Tiny Particles, Dies at 92, New York Times, 4 December 2012.
- ^ Obituary, The Daily Telegraph, 12 December 2012.
- ^ a b c d e f g "Sandia physicist, cleanroom inventor dies at 92". KWES. Associated Press. 2012-11-26. Retrieved 2012-12-03.[permanent dead link]
- ^ a b Clark, Heather (2012-11-16). "Willis Whitfield, inventor of modern-day laminar-flow clean room, passes away" (PDF). Sandia Lab News. Retrieved 2012-12-03.
- ^ "Dr. Willis Whitfield - Hardin-Simmons University". hstux.edu. Retrieved 4 November 2021.
- ^ "NIHF Inductee Willis Whitfield Created the Clean Room". invent.org. Retrieved 4 November 2021.