Otto Haas Family Papers

Otto Haas (1872-1960) was a German American chemical industry entrepreneur, chemical industry executive, and co-founder of Rohm and Haas Company. He was born in Stuttgart, Germany on March 15, 1872 to David and Louise Haas. Otto’s father died at an early age, forcing him to go to work in order to help support his family. He worked as a clerk at a local bank in Stuttgart until he joined Siegle and Company, a dye manufacturer. The company later sent him to the United States to work for its American branch.

Prior to moving to the United States, Haas met chemist Otto Rohm (1876-1939), who at the time was working for a local gas institute. The two became friends, and when Rohm reached out to him in 1905 about starting their own company, Haas returned to Germany. In 1907, the two men established the Rohm and Haas Company, specializing in the production of chemicals for processing leather and preparing hides for tanning.

Haas returned to the United States in 1909 to establish the American branch of Rohm and Haas in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where it went on to expand to produce chemicals for a wide range of industries. The two branches would become independent upon the United States’ entry into World War I. However, the two men remained friends and the connection between the two companies remained until World War II. Otto Haas continued to head Rohm and Haas Company until 1959.

Otto Haas married astronomer Phoebe Waterman in 1914. They had two sons: Fritz Otto Haas (1915-1994) and John Charles Haas (1918-2011).

Both Otto and Phoebe made significant contributions to community efforts. Following World War II, many children became fatherless. Otto, having lost his father at an early age, established the Phoebe Waterman Foundation (later the William Penn Foundation) in 1945 for the purpose of strengthening children’s futures through fostering deep connections to the community.

Otto Haas died on January 2, 1960 and Phoebe Waterman Haas passed away on May 16, 1967. F. Otto Haas continued serving his father’s company until he retired in 1984. John C. Haas also worked at Rohm and Haas Company until 1974 and served as chairman of the board of the William Penn Foundation until 1992.

Sources

Otto Haas Family Papers, Science History Institute Archives, Philadelphia.