Gordon Cain
Chemical Engineering’s greatest benefactor, Gordon Cain, passed
away on October 22, 2002 at the age of 91. A native of Rayville, Louisiana,
he received his B.S. in chemical engineering from LSU in 1933. During
his long career, he made a name for himself first in the petrochemical
industry and, then in the 1990s, became interested in the burgeoning biotechnology
industry, specifically carbon nanotubes. And even though he kept busy
as a leading entrepreneur for most of his life, he still made time to
give back to the University and department that he says gave him the foundation
for all his success. Because of that success, he received an honorary
Doctor of Science degree from LSU in 1993. And because of his generosity
to the university, the department was renamed in honor of him and his
wife upon their donating $10 million to the department in 1998. In fact,
the LSU Foundation reports that the Cains have given over $21 million
total to LSU through the Gordon A. and Mary H. Cain Foundation placing
them amongst the University’s greatest all-time benefactors. Enough
will never be said about man who has given so much to such a large community
through his generosity and kindness. He will be sorely missed, but never
forgotten.
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