Obituary of Paul Weisz

Paul B. Weisz, 93, of State College PA, died Tuesday, September 25, 2012 at Foxdale Village. Born July 2, 1919, in Pilsen, Czechoslovakia he was the son of the late Alexander and Amalia Weisz. He was married to Rhoda A.M. Burg who survives along with two children Ingrid and Randy Weisz. Paul and Rhoda are members of Media Third Street Quaker Meeting. Paul grew up in Berlin, Germany and he knew from an early age that he wanted to be a scientist and go to America. At the age of 16, he enjoyed being a radio "ham", published articles in a radio journal, and got a summer job with Telefunken, which was a major radio and electronics company. He later interned at the Cosmic Ray Institute in Berlin. At 16, Paul wrote to three American universities offering his family's support of an American wishing to study in Germany in exchange for similar support for him in the United States. Such an exchange was worked out through Auburn University, and Paul arrived in Alabama in 1939, narrowly escaping the outbreak of war. There, he completed a Bachelor's degree in less than one year. He then continued research on cosmic radiation at the Bartol Research Foundation of the Franklin Institute in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania. After the United States entered World War II, Paul, a longtime radio enthusiast, became an electronics engineer, teaching Signal Corps trainees at Swarthmore College. Later he moved to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology where he participated in the development of LORAN, a long-range aid to navigation. After the war he became a well-established researcher in shape selective catalytic chemistry and became the manager of research and development at Mobil Oil Corporation. While at Mobil, he developed technologies that dramatically improved fuel refining efficiency and was awarded close to 100 patents on inventions. In 1966, he earned his doctoral degree at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology. After retiring from Mobil, Paul began yet another career as a Distinguished Professor at the University of Pennsylvania. Here, he applied general chemical and physical principles to biomedical research. On moving to State College, Penn State University invited him to be an Adjunct Professor. Among his many awards, were The National Medal of Technology presented by President George H. W. Bush, The Perkins Medal, The American Chemical Society Award for Shape Selective Catalysis on Zeolites, and The American Institute of Chemists' Chemical Pioneer Award. In addition to his scientific interests Paul enjoyed underwater diving and photography, collecting tropical shells, playing recorders, and travel. To honor Paul, contributions can be sent to Media-Providence, Friends School, 125 West Third Street, Media, PA 19063 Arrangements are under the care of the Koch Funeral Home. Online condolences and signing of the guest book may be entered at www.kochfuneralhome.com.