Paul Casamajor
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Paul Casamajor (July 6, 1831 – November 13, 1887) was a Cuban-born American chemist and inventor.
Early life[edit]
Paul Casamajor was born in Santiago de Cuba in 1831. His father was French emigre who came from Haiti at the time of slave revolt then moved to Cuba; his mother Felicie de Saint-Félix Doutre, a Creole born in New Orleans.[1] In 1845, at age 14, he came to the United States to pursue his studies in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. He then entered Harvard Scientific School. He stayed there for a brief period. Later on, he spent several years in France upon recommendation of his advisor. He went to École Centrale Paris and studied chemical engineering, graduating in 1854.[2]
Career[edit]
Returning to the US after completion of his bachelor's degree, he briefly served in the American Civil War in 1863.[3] Afterwards, he established himself as a chemist in New York City and became interested in the oil industry in Pennsylvania. There, he worked as a superintendent at The Enterprise Mining and Boring Co. until 1866, when an explosion at the plant prompted him to go back to New York.
In 1867, he found work as a chemist at the Havemeyer & Elder Sugar Refining Co. (the predecessor to the American Sugar Refining Co. and later renamed Domino Sugar Refinery) in Brooklyn. He became an industry expert in cane sugar testing. He wrote and published several articles on his experiments with purifying and decolorizing sugar solutions, especially for Cebu 'mat' sugar that is deemed the "poorest" quality where it has its largest application. He invented a filtration system using fine sawdust for this process most known as "Casamajor process."[4][5] In November 1887, he died while still in the employ of this firm. Autopsy found that his sudden death was due to heart attack.[6]
In his lifetime, Casamajor was a promoter of the American Chemical Society, where he served as secretary and contributed to its journal. He also became the president of the Society's New York branch.[7]
Family[edit]
Paul Casamajor was naturalized as a US citizen in February 1870. He married Louise Jane Holberton (1847-1931) a French woman from Normandy, France. After his sudden death, his widow was left to take care of the family, which was very integrated in society in Brooklyn, a town that did not become part of New York City until 1898. Together, Paul and Louise were the parents of:
- George Casamajor (1868-1923)
- Henry Casamajor (1872-1939)
- Walter Casamajor (1873-1905)
- Alice Casamajor (1876-1957)
- Mary Casamajor (1878-1970), a librarian at the National Health Library
- Dr. Louis Casamajor (1881-1962), a doctor at the Neurological Institute of New York
- Martha Casamajor (1884-1974), a teacher at a public school
- Robert Casamajor (1885-1960) was a businessman in California.
- Pauline Casamajor (1887-1967)
Louise Casamajor invested some of her money in subscription shares in the New York firm Casamajor Filter Co. and later the British Columbia Sugar Refining Company.
References[edit]
- ^ Bacardí y Moreau, Emilio (1925). Crónicas de Santiago de Cuba. Santiago de Cuba: Arroyo Hermanos.
- ^ Endemann, H. (1887). "Paul Casamajor". Journal of the American Chemical Society. 9 (10): 206–8.
- ^ "Paul Casemajor [sic] in the U.S., Civil War Draft Registrations Records, 1863-1865". ancestry.com. Retrieved May 13, 2024.
- ^ Casamajor, P. (May 1, 1884). "Report on the Experiment in Filtering Sugar Solutions through the Filter Presses". The Sugar Cane. 16. New York.
- ^ Larkin, John (1993). Sugar and the Origins of Modern Philippine Society. University of California Press.
- ^ "Poison Caused his Death, An expert dies suddenly". The New York Times. November 13, 1887.
- ^ "Proceedings". Journal of the American Chemical Society. 1 (1). January 1, 1879.