Lifetime Paper Industry Giant George Tomlinson II Dies

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George H. Tomlinson II, former TAPPI Director, TAPPI Gold Medalist, and TAPPI Fellow, passed away March 16, 2010, at the age of 97. He was also an honorary life member of the Technical Section, CPPA.

After receiving his B.A. Degree in Chemistry from Bishop's University in 1931, and his Ph.D in Chemistry at McGill University in Canada in 1935, Dr. Tomlinson worked in the Industrial Cellulose and Chemistry Department at McGill for a year before joining Howard Smith Chemicals of Ontario, Canada, as chief chemist. He spent his entire career with Howard Smith and its successor companies, being appointed director of research at Howard Smith Paper Mills in 1941, and then director of Research at Domtar (Montreal) in 1961, becoming VP or research and environmental technology there in 1970, a position from which he retired in 1977. After retirement he remained associated with Domtar for many years as senior scientific advisor.

Dr. Tomlinson joined TAPPI in 1942, serving on several committees and the TAPPI Editorial Board. He was elected a TAPPI Fellow in 1969, and was awarded the TAPPI Gold Medal the same year. He was named an honorary life member of CPPA in 1980. Dr. Tomlinson's accomplishments are recorded in more than 40 papers and 19 patents, of which he was author or co-author. He is especially remembered for his work with lignin and black liquor oxidation, as well as development of the Magnefite sulfite process and the Alkafide process in the alkaline pulping area.