1999
Clarke L. Coldren
1948 Chemical Engineering

Clarke L. Coldren, a native of Uniontown, Fayette County, came to Penn State in 1943 as a 16-year-old high school senior. After a semester, he was called into the Navy and sent to Cornell and Georgia Tech, Where he became and officer in the Navy. After service in the Pacific, he returned to Penn State in 1946 to complete his chemical engineering degree. An interest in the science behind the engineering sent Clarke to the University of Illinios for his master's and doctorate in chemical engineering.

In 1952, Clarke joined Shell, beginning a lifelong relationship with the company. As a research engineer, he worked on problems related to fluid mechanics. Clarke invented a micro-separator which made possible the use of gas turbines for power recovery from catalytic crackers and developed Shell's first program in polymer engineering research. He created a new pipeline research laboratory that today is the world's preeminent group in underwater pipeline technnology. Under his supervision, shell began automation of product delivery systems which now extend from the refinery to the point-of-sale at the gas pump.

Clarke made the transition to general management in 1968, joining an effort to put shell on sound longrange strategic planning. In 1972, he was named head of Shell's Resins Business. There Clarke helped turn the business from 30 million dollars in annual revenues in 1972 to more than 600 million dollars today.

In his career, Clarke accumulated five patents and numerous publications.

Although he retired in 1984, Clarke is very active in the Houston, TX, community. He serves in the Executive Service Corps of Houston, which provides management consulting to nonprofit organizations, and he is an active leader in he Navy League and the Naval Order.

Clarke is a lifetime member of the Penn State Alumni Association and Sigma Pi Fraternity.

Current as of 1999

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