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John E. Stauffer Papers

 Collection
Identifier: 2022-015

Scope and Content

The John E. Stauffer Papers contain the professional and personal papers of John E. Stauffer. The collection is arranged into the following twelve series:

  1. Stauffer Chemical Company Files
  2. Stauffer Technology Files
  3. American Association of Cereal Chemists Files
  4. Meeting Files
  5. Patent Files
  6. Quality of Assurance of Food Files
  7. Publication and Presentation Files
  8. Personal Files
  9. Hans Stauffer Files
  10. Miscellaneous Printed Materials
  11. Oversized
  12. Images

Dates

  • Creation: 1920-2018
  • Creation: Majority of material found within Bulk 1950-2018

Creator

Language of Materials

A majority of the materials in this collection are in English. Also includes small amounts of German, French, Spanish, Arabic, Russian, Japanese, Chinese, Polish, Dutch, and Italian.

Access Restrictions

There are no access restrictions on the materials for research purposes and the collection is open to the public.

Copyright Information

The Science History Institute holds copyright to the John E. Stauffer Papers. The researcher assumes full responsibility for all copyright, property, and libel laws as they apply.

Background Note

John E. Stauffer (1932-2018) was an American chemical engineer, chemical company executive, business consultant, and inventor. He was best known for being an executive with Stauffer Chemical Company and President of Stauffer Technology.

John E. Stauffer was born in Bronxville, New York on September 16, 1932. He was the son of Stauffer Chemical Company executive and future company president Hans Stauffer (1901-1986). Stauffer first became interested in chemistry as a child. He earned his B.A. in Chemical Engineering from Princeton University (1954), his M.A. in Chemical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (1957), and his Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from Worcester Polytechnic Institute (1960). After earning his Ph.D., he went to work at Stauffer Chemical Company, a prominent American chemical firm founded by his great-uncle John Stauffer, Sr.

Stauffer enjoyed a twenty-three year career at Stauffer Chemical. He rose through the firm’s corporate hierarchy, serving as Research Associate (1960-1963), Assistant to the Vice President Manufacturing (1964), Director of Corporate Development (1965-1973), Manager of Market Research (1973-1977), and Manager of Food Safety (1977-1983). During his tenure with the firm, Stauffer was active in several different areas. Early in his career at Stauffer Chemical, he designed laboratory and plant projects and reviewed the firm’s technology and financial analyses. As the Director of Corporate Development, he completed the firm’s acquisitions in plastics and industrial chemicals. During the latter stages of his career at Stauffer Chemical, he conducted market studies (including those for dairy ingredients, yeast extract, and phosphates) and supervised the firm’s quality assurance and government regulatory activities. Stauffer retired from Stauffer Chemical Company in 1983.

After his retiring from Stauffer Chemical Company, Stauffer started a second career as a business consultant. In 1983, he established his own consulting firm Stauffer Associates, which he subsequently renamed Stauffer Technology in 1985. As President of Stauffer Technology, he served the energy, food, and chemical process industries. His firm’s clientele included chemical companies, petroleum companies, energy technology firms, and food processing companies.

In addition to his work as a corporate executive and business consultant, Stauffer was a prolific inventor. Over the course of his career, he was awarded more than eighty-five patents for inventions in several different areas, including chemical processes, nuclear energy, batteries, and automotive technology. He marketed some of his inventions through Stauffer Technology.

John E. Stauffer was an active member of several professional organizations, including the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, the Institute of Food Technologists, and the American Association of Cereal Chemists. As a member of the American Association of Cereal Chemists, Stauffer was author of the column “Quality Assurance,” which was a regular fixture in the association’s journal Cereal Foods World. He was also the author and co-author of several science journal articles and presented papers at numerous science and technology conferences worldwide. He was also author of the book Quality Assurance of Food: Ingredients, Processing and Distribution, which was published in 1988.

John E. Stauffer passed away on July 23, 2018.

Sources

John E. Stauffer Papers, Science History Institute Archives, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

“Obituary: John Stauffer.” Greenwich Sentinel, July 27, 2018, https://www.greenwichsentinel.com/2018/07/27/obituary-john-stauffer/

Extent

72.0 Linear Feet (57 Record Boxes, 2 Hollinger Boxes, and 2 Oversized Boxes)

Abstract

Business files, correspondence, patent files, manuscripts, printed materials, and photographic materials of American chemical engineer, chemical company executive, business consultant, and inventor John E. Stauffer.

Acquisition Information

The John E. Stauffer Papers were donated to the Science History Institute by Valerie Stauffer in March 2022.

Related Materials

The Stauffer Chemical Company Records are preserved at the Stanford University Department of Special Collections, Manuscripts Division in Stanford, California.

Processing Information

The John E. Stauffer Papers were processed by Kenton G. Jaehnig in December 2024.

Title
John E. Stauffer Papers
Status
Completed
Author
Finding aid created and encoded into EAD by Kenton G. Jaehnig.
Date
2024
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin

Repository Details

Part of the Science History Institute Archives Repository

Contact:
315 Chestnut Street
Philadelphia PA 19106 United States
215.873.8265
215.873.5265 (Fax)