George Oliver Curme,Jr (1888-1976),US industrial chemist. Curme's doctorate from the University of Chicago (1913) was followed by further study in Germany. He then joined the Prest-O-Lite chemical company,part of Union Carbide from 1917. Curme's methods for acetylene,ethylene,and propylene synthesis formed the basis of the new petrochemical industry. He rose to be Vice President of Research (1951) at Union Carbide. He was awarded the Chandler Medal (1933),the Perkin Medal (1935),the Elliott Cresson Medal (1936),and the Willard Gibbs Award (1944). In 1944,he was elected a member of the National Academy of Sciences |