All in the family

Chemical elements are organized into groups or families based on physical and chemical similarities. A surprising number of our alumni also fit into "chemical families," with several family members having received degrees from our department. While we may not notice periodic similarities among these family members, we find their stories interesting nonetheless. We hope to publish stories of other "chemical families" in future issues as space permits, so let us hear yours!

The Altpeters

The Alpeters (from left): Roger, Phillip, Lillian and Franz. (18K JPG)

Roger Altpeter was born in Baraboo, Wisconsin in 1909, the son of a mixologist. The family business produced and distributed 10 flavors of sodas. Whether that influenced his decision to study chemical engineering is unclear, but by 1934 he had earned three academic degrees from UW-Madison. After teaching at Case Institute of Technology for three years, he was appointed assistant professor of chemical engineering at UW-Madison where he led instruction in pyrometry.

Roger married Lillian Horton and the couple had two sons, Franz and Philip. The two attended Wisconsin High School on Henry Mall just a block away from their father's office. Both earned bachelor's degrees in chemical engineering from UW-Madison; Franz in 1965, Philip in '69.

"There was no pressure to be involved in chemical engineering," says Franz. "We were encouraged to be involved in the sciences because that was where the future was. The whole family was very much analytically inclined. I think my decision to study chemical engineering was more a result of the times. This was in the late '50s. We were in a technological battle with Russia. They were ahead in the space program and there was a lot of general interest in science and engineering."

Franz also earned a master's degree in business administration from the University of Chicago. He is president of Intek Plastics in Hastings Minnesota.

As for his children, "I have two boys," he says. "They are completely on the other side of the fence. One is in film in Chicago and the other graduated with a degree in geology."

Upon earning his degree, Philip Altpeter worked as a process engineer at the Badger Army Ammunition Plant. In 1970 he joined the FBI where he investigates white-collar crime. Like his brother, he says there was no pressure to study chemical engineering. Instead, he says his choice was more a function of his natural inclination toward math and science.

"My mother says it was hard on her," he jokes. "She was a typing instructor. My brother and I would write reports, she would type them, and my father would correct my mother's typing mistakes. The whole family was involved."

While the Altpeter brothers pursued careers that took them away from direct involvement with chemical engineering, both value their engineering education for the analytical skills it helped them hone.

"Looking back I feel fortunate to have earned my degree at UW. The department has always had an excellent reputation, and the professors that were teaching are literally the ones who wrote the books," says Philip. "Professor Hougen was there at the time, Professor Neill. I had Professor Ragatz. I didn't have Bird, Stewart and Lightfoot as teachers but they did watch me grow up."

The Spiegelbergs

The Spiegelbergs (from left): Harry (BS '59), Matthew Kozlowski (Harry's grandson who would like a ChE degree by 2011), Steve (BS '88) and Harry's father-in-law Charlie Ludden (BS, Chemical Commerce 1934). (39K JPG)

Harry Spiegelberg grew up on a dairy farm about 25 miles west of Appleton. As a junior in high school, he made a decision to study chemical engineering based on a quick fiscal analysis.

"I had always liked science, especially chemistry," he says. "I planned to be a chemist and then I noticed that chemical engineers made more than chemists and I thought, 'I think I'll be a chemical engineer.'"

Upon earning a BS in chemical engineering from UW-Madison in 1959, he joined Kimberly-Clark Corporation where he held various technical and managerial positions prior to his appointment as vice president in 1984. In 1961 he took a leave from the company to attend the Institute of Paper Chemistry in Appleton where he earned an MS and PhD. In 1978, Kimberly-Clark sent him to the University of Chicago for an MBA.

Harry and his wife Bonnie have two daughters and two sons and while not all pursued careers in engineering, all relied on their parents for career guidance. "In the case of my twin daughters, I asked Kathi Seifert from Kimberly Clark's marketing department to come and talk to them about opportunities for women in business," he says. "It was a good choice. Seifert is now the executive vice president of Kimberly Clark. Both of my girls majored in business. One worked up to senior bank auditor and the other to marketing manager, both retiring to become full-time mothers."

While in high school, Harry's son Steve was interested in becoming a veterinarian. At the time, UW-Madison didn't offer an undergraduate degree in veterinary science.

"Dad and I had several dinners at Perkins the fall of my last year in high school to discuss plans," says Steve. "Dad suggested chemical engineering as a possible undergraduate degree, after which I could go to graduate school for my degree in veterinary science. He told me all about the quality of the chemical engineering program at UW-Madison. After I had been there a few years, my interests shifted toward engineering work."

Steve Spiegelberg earned his undergraduate degree in chemical engineering from UW-Madison in 1988 and a PhD in chemical engineering from MIT in 1993. In 1996, he founded Cambridge Polymer Group (CPG) Inc., a contract research laboratory specializing in polymers. CPG works in the fields of biomedical, hydrogels, adhesives, food products, inks and paints, consumer products, and polymer solutions and melts.

Scott Spiegelberg wanted to be a professional trumpet player and pursued his goal with passion. Given the intense competition for seats in professional orchestras, his father advised him to get a music degree and a second, more practical, degree. Seeing the wisdom in this, Scott chose chemistry.

Scott did well when he worked as a summer research intern at Kimberly Clark, but he was a musician at heart. Over a "Perkins" type discussion during his masters program, Harry and Scott again reviewed this intense competition and jointly concluded that the future did not look promising. They discussed other careers in music. "People always turned to Scott for interpretation in music theory," says Harry. "In April, he earned his PhD at the University of Rochester and now has a tenure-track position in music theory at DePauw University at Greencastle."