Alumnus Paul E. Morrisroe (MS 71) knows a thing or two about hands-on work in chemical engineering. After all, he began working at Pilot Chemical Company right after college and remained at the company for his entire career. Pilot Chemical – an international specialty chemical company founded by Morrisroe’s father in 1952 – manufactures products for industrial and household use, such as biocides and surfactants, and emulsifier for latex gloves.
His first position at Pilot was as a plant engineer, followed by a period as Project Engineer at their New Jersey plant. In time, he moved into management roles and eventually took on the mantle of CEO, getting an M.S. in Business Policy along the way. Even as he rose through the leadership ranks, though, he never lost his appreciation for the work that happens in plants.
“I love the plant environment,” Morrisroe said. “I like people that work in plants. I like people that make stuff. I just like being in that environment.”
Morrisroe, who grew up in California, earned his bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from the University of California, Berkeley, in 1969. He applied to the Ph.D. program at Illinois on the advice of his senior adviser and, when offered a research assistantship that would cover tuition and living expenses, made the decision to attend. He got on a plane, flew to Chicago, and took a train to Champaign.
“I remember looking out the window from the train,” he said with a laugh. “It's just absolutely flat. I thought, ‘What the hell have I done?’“
First impressions notwithstanding, Morrisroe enjoyed his time at Illinois. He was advised by Thomas Hanratty, who he recalls as being one of the nicest people he has ever met. Two years into the program, though, he came to recognize that he did not want to be a researcher or professor. So instead of completing the entire Ph.D. program, he decided to graduate with a master’s degree and go to work. Ultimately, his career at Pilot lasted for 43 years – until his retirement as CEO in 2015.
After learning about the department's plans for the new Unit Operations Lab, Morrisroe – who had been a regular donor for years – decided to support the project with a major gift. When asked what motivated him to do so, Morrisroe reflected on how, during his undergraduate days at UC Berkeley, the unit operations lab experience was the only practical thing he ever learned.
“I learned a lot about thermodynamics, which I probably never used, and a lot of math and organic chem,” he said. “But then you get out of college and it’s like, ‘I don’t even know what a pump does. How does this stuff work?’”
Morrisroe and his wife, Rhoda, have gifted $600,000 to the lab project, which will help support renovation expenses in Noyes Lab as well as equipment upgrades. Morrisroe said he was happy to make the gift because it will provide students with the opportunity to learn the practical aspects of chemical engineering – using current technologies, in a safe environment – rather than just the theoretical parts.
The emphasis on practical experience goes hand-in-hand with Morrisroe’s general thoughts on achieving success: an essential part is just doing the work.
“I went to school with people who were a whole lot smarter than me, but a lot of them were lazy,” he said. “They didn't do the work. You know, they could just get by. So I think part of success is just showing up. You’ve got to show up and do the work – a lot of success is just hard work.”
Morrisroe said he hopes his gift will help interest students in chemical engineering and help make the curriculum more valuable. But more broadly, he believes that it is important to pay back the opportunities that he has received.
“We've been lucky,” Morrisroe said. “I can't claim a great genius on my part. But we've been fortunate, and we feel the need to give back. To give other people the opportunity we had.”