Dr. Calvin B. Cobb grew up in St. Joseph, Missouri, born of Depression-era parents.  His father was a high school graduate, his mother only finished grade school but they had the wisdom to point Calvin and his brother Tom down the right path. It was simply assumed they would go to college to make “a better life” and find a way to give something back to the world around them.

Calvin’s father owned a business and his mother worked by his side. He observed their work ethic everyday around the house and in the community and realized at a young age that the long, hard hours his parents worked strengthened their character. 

Calvin entered high school in 1956 near the time the Russians launched Sputnik.  Many thought that Russia might have a technological advantage on the United States so U.S. kids who were good in math and science were encouraged to study science, technology and engineering.

Calvin recalls that in St. Joseph, “you never ran across an engineer in daily life.” Calvin’s father was a farm boy and even bought a farm when Calvin was a freshman in high school.  From this vantage point, the field of engineering might be machine design or mechanical engineering for Calvin.  His high school sweetheart’s sister had married a mechanical engineer from “Rolla” [then the Missouri School of Mines and now the Missouri University of Science and Technology (Missouri S&T)].  But Calvin’s high school chemistry teacher – Miss Moore – had a strong influence on Calvin so he pursued chemical engineering.  “I hired chemical engineers for much of my career,” recalls Calvin.  “When I asked them how they became chemical engineers, most say it was because of the connection they had with their high school chemistry teacher.  It was a bond that clicked for Calvin, and the rest – as they say – is history for Dr. Cobb, Past President of the American Institute of Chemical Engineering (2001).

Calvin Cobb recently retired from a 35 year career as a consultant. The major part of his consulting career was spent as President of Wright Killen & Co., a partner at Ernst & Young, and with Cap Gemini Ernst & Young.  He was the recent chair of the AIChE Institute for Sustainability and serves as chairman of the board for the Pearl Fincher Museum of Fine Arts in Houston, TX.

An Engineer of Drive of Character

While Calvin considered several engineering programs, he chose Missouri S&T because, he said “Rolla’s name and reputation were legendary. The characteristics of the school and the character-building of 'Rolla' fit me.” 

When Calvin took a summer job at Dow in Midland, Michigan he met many skilled engineers from Michigan and Purdue who held master’s degrees. He started to consider graduate school and Dr. Bill James, then dean of the Rolla graduate studies, encouraged Calvin to pursue a PhD.  Professor Efton Park, Calvin’s advisor, was able to secure a NASA fellowship for Calvin.  “I was his first PhD student and the time went by quickly for both of us.  It was challenging but very enjoyable.”

After earning his doctorate in a time of less than three years, Calvin accepted a position at Monsanto Company in the engineering technology group.  “It soon dawned on me that engineering at the detail level was not for me,” said Calvin.  “I didn’t have the personality or the temperament. I was a sales kind of guy.  When I was a kid, I sold soap door-to-door to get enough money to go to YMCA camp!”

Calvin began selling software and came across a little entrepreneurial group of engineers writing business plans, negotiating contracts, and serving customers. “That shaped my life to come.”

“One of our software customers was The Pace Company Consultants & Engineers in Houston, a company founded in the 1950s,” said Calvin.  “They hired me in 1974 to run their environmental consulting group. The Pace Company had a legacy of employing good engineers with traits of integrity and honesty, who did good work.” Calvin says they all honed these character traits and made significant contributions to their customers’ businesses.  “In consulting, you measure your career by projects rather than positions.”

An Entrepreneur and Leader

In 1980 a number of professionals established Wright Killen & Co. and Calvin joined as president.  “We were arrogant enough to think we could do this smarter, faster, and cheaper than others,” recalls Calvin. His customers would agree that they could and did.

Wright Killen served as consultants and top management consultants to refining and chemical company clients, addressing issues of supply, refining, marketing and organizational change. “We progressed in our knowledge, got a bit older and wiser and came to know more about the business than most others.  We moved from technical advisors to business advisors,” said Calvin. One noteable project was a competitive environment analysis compiled for a worldwide oil company. “They asked us to predict which refineries would shut down in 1995. We analyzed every refinery in the U.S. and predicted those that we believed would close.  Virtually every one of them shut down. We quickly became known as one of the best refinery consultants around.”

For the next 15 years, Calvin and his team analyzed the industry impact of acquisitions, major refinery bankruptcies, company acquisitions and divestitures, and developed strategies to target markets and technologies.  In the mid-90’s, Calvin and his associates planned their own exit strategy, selling Wright Killen to Ernst and Young where he joined as a Partner

“The most enjoyable phase of my career was being a consultant . . .working on things our clients found important.  The quick pace, being under pressure to complete projects, doing some things we’d never done before. And much like my time at Rolla, we got instant feedback on our performance.  There was always something new and different coming up.”  Calvin found this field different than other careers where people are not sure they’re making a difference to the world and to themselves.

A Contributor to the Profession

Calvin became the Director of the AIChE Fuels and Petrochemical Division in 1981 and rose to the presidency of AIChE, serving as President-Elect, President, and Past President from 2000-2002.  “One of my most memorable activities there was leading a group to chart a new direction,” recalls Calvin. I look back on that as a contribution to the profession.”

“We (AIChE) became more inclusive of a wide range of chemical engineering other than the traditional process industries AIChE has long-served..  We added important activities in biotech and sustainability. If we had continued (as in the past), we might cease to be as important of an organization as we are. This is very rewarding especially as we celebrate our 100^th anniversary.”

Calvin speaks humbly of what he’s given back to his professional organization but AIChE has rewarded his work with the Marketing Division Hall of Fame Award and the Fuels and Petrochemicals Division Award.

Completing the Circle

At the height of his career, Calvin was investing his time, talent and treasure in his alma mater, its current faculty and future generations of chemical engineers.  He served as a campus Trustee – the highest level of academic advisor – but also co-founded two teams of alumni that will serve the department of chemical engineering in perpetuity: the Industry Advisory Committee and the Academy of Chemical Engineers. The latter brings together the most distinguished alumni to advise faculty, staff and students. “I served on the UMR (now Missouri S&T) Industry Advisory Committee. We had aspirations to be helpful to the school that meant so much to us. I hope I added to it by connecting with people like me who shared common goals and aspirations.”

“Education (for chemical engineers) is adapting. It’s changing from a profession driven by energy and chemistry to one driven by diverse sources and technologies.  It’s the nature of chemical engineers that makes them valuable, not the industries they are learning about.”

“Professionals are concerned that academic teaching will adapt to what students want versus what makes chemical engineers strong. Chemical engineers have a different thought process and way of combining and analyzing and synthesizing processes. This will serve them in the future.  The salaries of new chemical engineers are among the highest of engineers and companies want them for what they can do. They are armed with a great education which they won’t appreciate until they work.  They can contribute up to CEO level.”

Calvin also served his alma mater as a two-term chairman of the donor society (the Order of the Golden Shillelagh) and as an architect of the campus’ current $200 million capital campaign.  He has been honored with the Honorary Doctorate, the Chancellor’s Medal, the professional degree and the Alumni Achievement Award

Offering Advice to Those Who Follow

Dr. Calvin B. Cobb is as authentic as they come.  An admired professional, inspiring leader, compassionate advisor, tireless volunteer, and devoted family man, there is much to learn from each aspect of Calvin's life but more to learn from the balance he strikes to weave it all together.  He’s a talented artist – both a woodworker and metalworker – and an architect – building an authentic Colonial home and surrounding gardens brick by brick, board by board. He has both vision and technical expertise and has employed them all, in equal measure, to make a difference both in his life and the lives of those around him.

“The advice I’d offer new graduates is to take the skills they’ve learned and figure out what they like to do best,” said Calvin. “If they can find something they are passionate about, that’s when they can be successful. It’s important because it’s important to them, not for the paycheck.”

“You are remembered for the kind of work you did.  I hope I was a consultant that people could look up to, depend on, and trust to be an advisor. I think we got to that level and those were the most enjoyable times of my professional life.  I have enjoyed being involved with my university, the chemical engineering profession through AIChE and as a volunteer chair of the board for a fine arts museum.  In my life I hope to give something back to the parts of the world that are important to me.”