Dow, Henry Herbert (1866-1930)

Canadian-born US chemist, inventor, and industrialist. Regarded as the founder of the electrochemical industry in the USA, he established the Dow Chemical Company. Originally producing bromine, chlorine, bleaching powder, and insecticides, pharmaceuticals were soon added to the product list.

He was born in Belleville, Ontario, Canada. He began experimenting with brines while a student at Case School of Applied Science (now part of Case Western Reserve University) in Cleveland, Ohio. He invented a simple electrolytic method for extracting bromine from brine, and used a direct current generator in the process. The bromine that the company produced was used in medicines and dyes. Dow later introduced the first process for making synthetic indigo and was the first to extract iodine from brine. During World War I, he served as a member of the advisory committee of the Council of National Defense.