Kathryn Hach-Darrow was president, chief operating officer, and CEO of the Hach Company and presided over its growth from a small privately held reagent supplier in 1947 to a global public firm focused on water analysis and testing. From 1947 until the firm's sale in 1999, she oversaw business operations, marketing, and other managerial aspects of the firm. She is also a legend in her industry. Hach-Darrow led the expansion of the water treatment business by flying a small, private plane to cities and towns around the country to work on site with managers of water treatment facilities.
Hach products enabled municipal water suppliers around the world to assure the quality of drinking water, monitor sewage treatment, and improve water reclamation. Their products also found extensive use in electronics, food and beverage manufacturing, and general agriculture. Tests marketed by Hach make it possible for field agents -- including people without expertise in chemistry -- to take simple, rapid, economical, and accurate measurements.
Hach-Darrow has been awarded several honors as an entrepreneur and has established a foundation to further chemical education. Some of her achievements:
This spring will mark the 53rd annual Pittsburgh Conference on Analytical Chemistry and Applied Spectroscopy. It's now the largest and most inclusive conference and exposition on laboratory science and instrumentation in the world. The annual event brings together more than 30,000 conferees and exhibitors from more than 70 countries. PITTCON 2002 will include approximately 3,000 presentations in addition to short courses, invited symposia, workshops and new product forums featuring instrument manufacturers from the life sciences, analytical chemistry, and other scientific fields. Proceeds from the conference are used to advance science education. More information is available at www.pittcon.org .
The Chemical Heritage Foundation, a private, non-profit organization, operates a historical research library and museum; creates and circulates traveling exhibits; develops and disseminates educational materials; publishes books and Chemical Heritage magazine; offers fellowships and travel grants; conducts oral histories with leading scientists and industrialists; and hosts awards, conferences, and public events.