June
Historical Events in Spectroscopy by Leopold May, Catholic
University
Baltimore-Washington
Section loses a pioneer - Al DiLeonardi.
LOCAL SECTION NEWS
Albert A. DiLeonardi suffered a fatal
heart attack in January, 1999, five days
short of his 79th birthday. Al was one of the founding members
of the Baltimore-Washington Spectroscopy Society in 1954. He is
shown in the photograph on the right with other founding members
of the local SAS section at the 25th anniversary celebration in
September of 1983. As a graduate of Loyola College, he provided
invaluable help in persuading the college hierarchy to give the
young society gratis use of the chemistry lecture room for its
initial evening meetings. Today that society is the Baltimore-Washington
Section of the Society for Applied Spectroscopy. Over the years,
Al served on the SAS Executive Committee and various other committees.
He continued to "beat the bushes" for new members and
rarely missed a meeting. Al is shown in the photograph at the
left with Marvin Margoshes (left) at the 
First
National Meeting of the Society for Applied Spectroscopy, held
in College Park, Maryland, in 1962.
Al received his B.S. degree in Chemistry from Loyola University, Baltimore, Maryland in 1943. He pursued postgraduate studies at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. Here he successfully complete courses in spectrographic analysis, nonferrous metallurgy, corrosion of metals, physical metallurgical testing, and X-ray fluorescence (1943-1950). His career began at Revere Copper and Brass in Baltimore as a chemist responsible for chemical analysis and physical and metallurgical testing. By 1954, he achieved the position of Chief Chemist-Chief Spectrographer.
With the end of World War II and war plants closing, Al moved briefly to the Engineering Research and Development Laboratory at Fort Belvoir, Virginia, as a Physical Chemist and Spectroscopist. The commute to Virginia ended with a position as Laboratory Supervisor at Kaiser Aluminum and Chemical Corporation in Halethorpe, Maryland. Here his responsibilities were the chemical, spectrographic, and physical testing laboratories, plus metallurgical and sonic testing. He traveled to various Kaiser plants to ensure uniform testing at all locations.
After three years at Kaiser, the bug bit to "go West" -- to Lockheed Aircraft Missile and Space Systems Division in Sunnyvale, California, where he worked as a Senior Scientist. This venture became, in four months, a "turn around", when word was out that the Kennescott Refining Corporation was building a plant in Anne Arundal County, Maryland, Al's neighborhood. He began there as a Spectrographer in 1977 and retired as Chief Spectroscopist. He set up the spectrographic, metallurgical, and X-ray fluorescence laboratories, in addition to managing analytical chemical procedures. While at Kennecott, he was sent to Enami-Las Ventanca Copper Refining in Chile, and Kennecott Ray Mines Division to participate in setting up spectrographic laboratories at each plant.
Al was a very active member in the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) committee E2. He received the B.F. Scribner Award in 1975 for his "outstanding contributions on behalf of the committee in promoting analytical standardization in our nations copper industry." The presentation was made at a meeting of E2 in the Convention Center in Cleveland, Ohio. He also served as ASTM's liaison to the National Bureau of Standards, to develop copper Standard Reference Materials needed for the copper industry. He was also a member of ASTM Committee E3, Chemical Analysis of Materials, and a member of the American Chemical Society. He authored a number of technical writings and is listed in the "Who's Who in the East", 12th Edition.
Al is survived by his wife of 54 years, Helen (Zabetakis); a son, Vincent; and five daughters: Katherine Panco, Julia Lillers, Jane Adamitsch, Joan Goudounis, and Nancy Toblsman; as well as three grandsons and two granddaughters.
Prepared by Andy Rekus
Your Baltimore-Washington Section Officers for 1998-1999:
Chair: Diana Ciurczak
Chair-elect: Larry Pollack, SAIC, 703-333-5548. larryp@saic-cvr.com
Secretary: Dave Hill, USDA, 301-504-8282, hill@307.bhnrc.usda.gov
Treasurer: Jeb Taylor
Delegates: Scott Baker, USDA and Mike Epstein, Hood College
Newsletter Editor: Kris Patterson
Science Fair and Student Award Committee: Bob Koons
I.L. Barnes Award: John Moody
Web page editor: Mike Epstein
Visit our local section sponsor WWW pages:
The Perkin-Elmer Corporation - Analytical Instruments Division
Gascoyne Laboratories, a privately-owned
and operated independent testing laboratory for environmental
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(410) 633-1800, Fax (410) 633-6553
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Regional Sales, 9901 Business Parkway, Suite H, Lanham, MD 20706
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Your Local Nicolet Representatives
Mike Pannella- Technical Sales
Larry Ottolini - Technical Service
Wayne Fowler - Technical Service
Dr. Joe Schoppelrei - Application Scientist
Chris Rodriguez - Application Scientist
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