Walter Frank Rittman (December 2, 1883 - September 26, 1954) was a chemical engineer with the United States Bureau of Mines.

Walter Frank Rittman circa 1916

Biography edit

He was born in Sandusky, Ohio on December 2, 1883, to Louisa and Christ Rittman. He attended Sandusky High School then Ohio Northern University. He received a master's degree from Swarthmore College in 1909 and his Ph.D. from Columbia University. In 1915 he invented a process which increased the amount of gasoline distilled from crude oil.[1] He died on September 26, 1954, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.[2]

References edit

  1. ^ "Dr. W.F. Rittman Finds Way to Treble Independent Refiners' Gasoline Production. Gets from Petroleum Toluol and Benzol, Now Coal-Tar Products. German Monopoly Doomed". The New York Times. March 1, 1915. Retrieved 2014-01-19.
  2. ^ "Walter Frank Rittman". Sandusky History. 7 April 2013. Retrieved 2014-01-19.