Genuine Kansas - C. Olin Ball

C. Olin Ball (1893 - 1982) was an American food scientist and inventor who was involved in the thermal death time studies in the food canning industry during the early 1920s. This research would be used as standard by the United States Food and Drug Administration for calculating thermal processes in canning. He would also be a charter member of the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) in 1939 and inducted among the first class of IFT fellows in 1970 for his work in academia and industry.

Early life A native of Abilene, Kansas, Ball earned his BS in mathematics before going to graduate school at George Washington University during 1919-22. While at George Washington University, he would work for the National Canners Association by researching the sterlization of canned foods. Ball's formula method of thermal death time would become the standard of the United States Food and Drug Administration for calculating thermal processes. Career After earning his PhD from George Washington University in 1922, Ball would work with the American Can Company in Illinois and New York where he earned 29 patents. He would work at Owens-Illinois Glass Company during 1944-46 before going to Rutgers University as a professor and later chair of the food science department during 1949-63. Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) involvement A charter member of IFT when it was founded in 1939, Ball would serve as its president in 1963-64. He would also win the Nicholas Appert Award in 1947 and would be among the first class of 27 fellows inducted in 1970. Ball also as the first editor-in-chief of Food Technology in 1947 and would continue in this position until 1950