On the Centennial of the Academic Careers (1919–2019) of Llewellyn M. K. Boelter and William H. McAdams: American Pioneers in Heat and Mass Transfer

Abstract

In the early 1900s, the heat transfer state of the art in the United States of America (U.S.) lagged far behind that in Europe, especially in Germany. The initial 35 years of the 20th century, however, saw major changes take place as the process industry and other research institutions increasingly began requiring a better understanding of heat and mass transfer. While many individuals have since made important contributions to the field, both past and contemporary peers in the heat and mass transfer community have identified two pioneers as having played key roles in this effort in the U.S.: Llewellyn Michael Kraus Boelter of the University of California—Berkley (UC-Berkley) and the University of California—Los Angeles (UCLA), and William Henry McAdams of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). They both started their respective academic positions in 1919, one on the East Coast and the other on the West Coast of U.S. In this paper, the centenary (1919–2019) of their seminal contributions is celebrated by highlighting the early heat and mass transfer developments in the U.S. and the careers of both McAdams and Boelter, which have been integral to this rich history. Many of their heat transfer contributions to the evolution of the field, up to the prevailing times in the 21st century, are documented, along with commentaries and annotations.