Herman S. Bloch
Herman Samuel Bloch (June 15, 1912 – June 16, 1990) was an American chemist and inventor. He helped create the catalytic converter, a device that cleans pollutants from car exhaust. Bloch held more than 270 patents. He was the deputy director of research at AlliedSignal Inc. and served as chairman of the Cook County Housing Authority. He received several awards, including the Chemical Pioneer Award in 1989, the Ernest J. Houdry Award in Applied Catalysis, the E. V. Murphree Award in Industrial and Engineering Chemistry (1974), and the Richard J. Kokes Memorial Award (1971). Bloch was elected to the National Academy of Sciences in 1975. He was born in Chicago to Ukrainian-Jewish immigrant parents, Aaron and Esther Bloch. He earned his B.A. and Ph.D. in organic chemistry from the University of Chicago in 1936.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 14:59 (CET).