Frank S. Riordan, Jr.

Director, Technology Planning, Solutia (retired)

Education

• B.S. 1940, Chemical Engineering, University of Cincinnati
• M.S. 1947, Chemical Engineering, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville
• Ph.D. 1951, Chemical Engineering, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville

While a graduate student at UT, Riordan lobbied his chemical engineering faculty to recruit a few of his former professors from the University of Cincinnati in order to start a doctoral program in chemical engineering. Dean Dougherty and the faculty established the program, and in 1951, Riordan became the second individual to receive a doctorate in chemical engineering from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.

After receiving his doctorate, Riordan worked for Chemstrand Company making Acrylan and Nylon fibers. After Chemstrand was purchased by Monsanto, Riordan held various positions in the Textile Fibers division. While with Monsanto, he became a quality control supervisor and worked at the first unified plant of nylon intermediates and manufacturing in Pensacola, Florida. In 1969, for his work with Monsanto, Riordan was named a Distinguished Alumnus of the Tickle College of Engineering at the University of Cincinnati.

He spent much of the 1970s traveling to Europe visiting research institutes and competitors in the fibers industry, buying technologies in Finland, Italy, France, and Switzerland. In 1978, the chemical business of Monsanto became known as Solutia. Riordan served as superintendent of Intermediates Technology and as director of Research and Development for Solutia before retiring in 1982 as director of Technology Planning.

Up to his passing in 2011, Riordan held memberships with the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, the American Society for Engineering Education, and the American Society for Quality.