Article

John Seaman Bates

Published Online June 9, 2008

Last Edited March 18, 2014

John Seaman Bates, chemist, environmentalist (b at Woodstock, Ont 9 June 1888; d at Sackville, NB 26 Nov 1991). A graduate of Acadia U, in 1914 Bates obtained the first PhD in chemical engineering granted by Columbia U.

John Seaman Bates, chemist, environmentalist (b at Woodstock, Ont 9 June 1888; d at Sackville, NB 26 Nov 1991). A graduate of Acadia U, in 1914 Bates obtained the first PhD in chemical engineering granted by Columbia U. In his first career, in the pulp and paper industry, he was one of the first to apply scientific principles to pulp processing. At an age when most have retired, Bates moved to government and consulting work in the water supply and environment field in NB, NS and PEI.

Bates is probably best known for his contributions to the establishment of scientific and technical societies such as the Technical Section of the Canadian Pulp and Paper Association and the Chemical Institute of Canada. In 1986 he was awarded an honorary doctorate by Dalhousie. Bates received the Order of Canada in 1989.