Falmouth, Maine Dr. Warren Max Rohsenow, 90, passed away on June 3, 2011 at his home in Falmouth, Maine.
Dr. Rohsenow was raised primarily in Chicago, and also Fort Worth and Kansas City, by his parents, Fred and Selma Rohsenow. He was known to most everyone he met as Warren or “Rosy.”
Warren was a mechanical engineer, having earned a bachelor’s degree from Northwestern University and a master’s and Ph.D. from Yale University. For two years, he served in the Navy, where he developed temperature instrumentation for the first gas turbine tested in the U.S. He began his teaching career at Yale, and then he joined MIT in the mid-1940’s. Ten years later, he became founder and director of MIT’s Heat Transfer Lab, which he brought to world prominence. His work on gas turbines, heat exchangers, heat transfer in nuclear reactors, and condensation in cooling towers was at the forefront of the field for nearly 60 years. His research forms the underpinnings of many modern developments in the thermal power industry. Warren was responsible for developing the graduate program in heat transfer at MIT. After he retired, he retained the position of Professor Emeritus and the Heat Transfer Lab was renamed in his honor.
Throughout his life, Warren was the recipient of the highest awards in his field, often at unusually young ages. At age 16, Warren earned the rank of Eagle Scout conferred by the Boy Scouts of America. Just three weeks ago, on May 11th, the honor and rank of Distinguished Eagle Scout was conferred upon him, making him one of only two in the state of Maine. Warren was deeply touched by this honor.
Warren’s professional awards were extensive. Warren was a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Science and the National Academy of Engineering. He was particularly proud of the Max Jakob Memorial Award, jointly presented by The American Society of Mechanical Engineers and The American Institute of Chemical Engineers and the ASME Medal presented by The American Society of Mechanical Engineers.
Warren was the world authority and served as an expert consultant on problems related to heat transfer and thermodynamics to a wide variety of companies and for a number of national and international government agencies and organizations. He lectured worldwide. He authored/co-authored over 100 journal papers, as well as hundreds of conference papers and technical reports. He co-authored two heat transfer text books and was senior editor of multiple editions of the definitive handbook on heat transfer, still widely-used today.
In the late 1950’s, Warren co-founded and was Chairman of Dynatech Corp., a consulting and manufacturing company. Dynatech was responsible for significant developments in the fields of cryosurgery, blood testing, cooling systems, lightning detection, weather mapping, and modem monitoring for national reservation systems. Dynatech employed over 3,000 people worldwide, of which Warren was especially pleased. Dynatech was publicly-traded on the New York Stock Exchange when it was acquired in the mid-1990’s.
As a boy, Warren was an accomplished jazz pianist, an interest he pursued with enthusiasm throughout his life. He enjoyed golf, tennis, skiing, and traveling. Warren’s passion was getting to know people and he made it a point to know professional and personal acquaintances as individuals.
Warren was married to the love of his life, Towneley, for 55 years until she passed away in 2001. Warren was “Dad” to five children and their spouses: John S. Rohsenow and Betty Jacobsen of Chicago, IL , Ramananda (Brian T.) Rohsenow and Raschida (Alice) Julian of San Francisco, CA , Damaris J. Rohsenow and Norman Dudziak, Jr. of Barrington, RI, Sandra L. Plette & Andre’ Plette of Falmouth, ME, and Anne A. Thomas and William Thomas of Rindge, NH. Warren also was “Pop Pop” to four adult grandchildren (Nicole, Noah, Kristen, and Will) and to five great-grandchildren (Perrin, Alex, Adam, Sophia, and Laurel).
A service in celebration of Warren’s life will be held on Friday, June 10th at 3pm at Foreside Community Church, 340 Foreside Road, Falmouth, Maine, with a reception to follow. Private burial will take place at the family country home in Parsonsfield, Maine at a later date. Arrangements are being handled by Watson, Neal & York Funeral Home in Cornish, Maine. wnyfuneralhome.com
Should friends desire, Warren would be particularly pleased with donations to the Boy Scouts of America or to the Foreside Community Church Memorial Fund.