James Rush Brock

on Wednesday, December 7, 2011.

He was born in Mission, Texas, in 1930, the second of the three sons of Jerome Dalton Brock and Elizabeth Beeler Brock. He obtained his BA and BS degrees from Rice University in 1952 and 1953, his MS and PhD from the University of Wisconsin in 1954 and 1960, having worked as a Texas research Engineer for Humble Oil & Refining Co in Houston from 1954-55.

Dr. Brock served on the faculty in the UT Department of Chemical Engineering from 1960–1999 and was the Kenneth A. Kobe professor. His fields of interest were: Aerosol Physics and Chemistry, Environmental Science, Plasma Physics, Statistical Mechanics, Thermodynamics, Reaction Kinetics, Atmospheric Physics, Rarefied Gas Dynamics, nanotechnology. From 1962-1963 he was a postdoctoral fellow at the Universite Libre de Belgique, Brussels, working under Dr. Ilya Prigogine, winner of the 1977 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. He married Mary Lou Waghorn in 1964 in London, England. They had an interesting and wonderful life together and two daughters, Ianthe and Alison. His granddaughter Carey Beth was the light of his latter years.

He was a visiting professor at the University of Paris Faculty of Science in 1973 and at the Tokyo Institute of Technology in 1988. In 1997 at the NATO Advanced Study Institute on Nanostructure Materials: Science & Technology in St. Petersburg, Russia, he spoke on "Nanoparticle Synthesis: A Key Process in the future of Nanotechnology" which was published in the volume recording that historic meeting.

Dr. Brock was a member of the research grants advisory committee for the evaluation of air pollution research proposals for the Environmental Protection Agency in Washington from 1970, a research consultant for the US Air Force and various private companies including Radian Corporation, Southwest Research Institute, Illinois Institute of Technology and Brookhaven National Laboratory.

He was co-author with G.M. Hidy of The Dynamics of Aerocolloidal Systems, Vol. 1, and Topics in Current Aerosol Research Vol. 2, 1970; co-editor of International Reviews in Aerosol Physics and Chemistry, 1971-1973; associate editor of the Journal of Environmental Science and Health 1978; and of the Journal of Aerosol Science, 1986-1988; member of the editorial board of the Journal of Colloid Science, 1965-66; Aerosol Science and Technology, 1984-1988; contributed more than 150 articles to refereed science and engineering journals, contributed 10 book chapters, wrote numerous reports, and held 20 patents. He was on the Technical Advisory Committee of the Texas Air Control Board, 1980-1982; the recipient of the Distinguished Service award from the U.S. Army Research Development Engineering Center located at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md. in 1987; grantee of the National Science Foundation; member of the American Chemical Society, and the American Association for Aerosol Research; received the Sinclair award in 1992; the Gesellschaft fur Aerosol Forschung; received the Hocutt Distinguished Centennial Engineering Research Award 1999. He was a member of Tau Beta Pi, Alpha Chi Omega, Omega Chi Epsilon, Phi Lambda Upsilon and Sigma Tau.

Jim Brock is lovingly remembered as a stalwart, generous and loving husband and father, and a modest, private man. He had a special way with small children, the family animals and especially his beloved little dog Mini. He was a respected church member, colleague and professor, a perceptive and kind counselor and employer; a lover of the environment, wildlife, the universe and space, classical music and history. He was faithful to his science and to his university. His service to his country, though hidden from the public eye was significant.

He was predeceased by his elder brother Jerome Dalton Brock. Cherishing his memory are his brother Bill Brock, his wife Mary Lou Brock, his daughters Alison Brock, and Ianthe Brock Wooley, son-in-law John C. Wooley, granddaughter Carey Beth Wooley, nephews and nieces. The family deeply appreciated all who cared for him in his latter years. We all loved him well and will cherish one another the more for having known him.

In lieu of flowers donations may be sent denoting In Memorium to:

Worldwatch Institute

1776 Massachusetts Avenue Nw

Washington, DC 20008

Suite 800

http://www.worldwatch.org/donate

A private family service will be held at a later date.