Charles Edward Munroe

1849 - 1938  (89 years)

• Name	Charles Edward Munroe  [1]
  Born	24 May 1849	Cambridge, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts, USA   [1]
  Gender	Male
  Died	7 Dec 1938	Forest Glen, Maryland, USA
  Person ID	I36579	Munro
  Last Modified	21 May 2005

  
  

  Father	Enoch Munroe,   b. 12 Aug 1816, Somerville, Massachusets, USA ,   d. 25 Jun 1897, Cambridge, Massachusets, USA  (Age 80 years)
  Mother	Emeline Elizabeth Russell,   b. 30 Sep 1818, Townsend, Massachusets, USA ,   d. 1 Jan 1899, Cambridge, Massachusets, USA  (Age 80 years)
  Married	29 Oct 1840
  Family ID	F12541	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	Mary Louise Barker,   b. Abt 1851,   d. Yes, date unknown
  Married	20 Jun 1883
  Children	1. Winifred Barker Munroe,   b. 18 Mar, Annapolis, Anne Arundel Co., Maryland, USA ,   d. 1947, Bryn Mawr, Montgomery Co., Pennsylvania, USA + 2. Russell Barker Munroe,   b. 5 Apr 1886, Annapolis, Anne Arundel Co., Maryland, USA ,   d. Yes, date unknown   3. George Treadway Barker Munroe,   b. 31 Mar 1888, Newport, Newport Co., Rhode Island, USA ,   d. 5 May 1966, Spring Park, Minnesota, USA  (Age 78 years)   4. Dorothy Barker Munroe,   b. 6 Oct 1889, Newport, Newport Co., Rhode Island, USA ,   d. Of, Thrumont, Maryland, USA   5. Charlotte Barker Munroe,   b. 23 Jul 1892, Rutland, Worcester Co., Massachusetts, USA ,   d. 28 Mar 1949, Scranton, Lackawanna Co., Pennsylvania, USA  (Age 56 years)
  Last Modified	20 Jan 2009
  Family ID	F13424	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Notes

  In 1871, Charles graduated summa cum laude at Harvard University receiving his B.S. degree. In 1894, he received his PhD from Columbia University, which was later renamed George Washington University. He served as an assistant in chemistry at Harvard 1871-1874 where he established the first course in chemical technology in 1872, and the first summer school in chemistry in 1873. He was professor of chemistry at the U.S. Naval Academy 1874-1886, and chemist of the U.S. Naval War College and Torpedo Station at Newport, Rhode Island 1886-1892. In 1892, Charles began a quarter of a century with George Washington University as professor of chemistry. In 1892-1898, he was Dean of the Corcoran Scientific School. In 1893-1917, he was Dean of the faculty of graduate studies, which he established. Charles retired in 1918 with the title of Professor and Dean Emeritus. In 1906-1919, he was consulting chemist on explosive effects. In 1919-1933, he was chief explosives chemist of the U.S. Bureau of Mines. At various times in his life, he was a member of the U.S. Naval Academy (1898), organizer and director of a volunteer torpedo corps on Analostan Island in the Potomac River, consulting expert to the engineering board on defense of Washington (1898), expert special agent in charge of industries of the U.S. for the Census (1900, 1905, 1910), consulting expert for the U.S. Geological Survey, Bureau of Mines and the Civil Service Commission, Chairman of the Advisory Committee of the American Railway Association for the drafting of regulations covering the transportation of explosives (1905), superintendent of the denatured alcohol exhibit and member of the jury on chemicals at the Jamestown, Virginia exposition (1907), chairman of the committee on explosives investigations of the National Research Council (1918-1928), consulting specialist on explosives for U.S. Forest Service (1934-1938). In 1889, Charles started experiments with smokeless powder used by the US Navy for large guns. While at Newport station, he discovered the "Munroe effect," by which letters sunk in a gun-cotton cube are indented on a steel plate when the cube is detonated against it, or if the letters are raised above the surface of the cube and placed in contact with the steel plate at detonation, they are reproduced in the plate in relief. The "Munroe effect" threw light on the nature of the detonation wave. Charles invented indurite, and originated the porous cone for filtration, the platinum filter, or the Munroe crucible, used in atomic weight determination and other precise works, and a method for the preparation of catalysts. Recognized as a leading authority on explosives, he was the author of more than 100 books and papers in the field. He was an Honorary Fellow of the American Institute of Chemists, a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science; Chemical Society of London, American Academy of Arts and Sciences and Society of Chemical Industry of Great Britain, charter member of the American Chemical Society (president, 1895-1896) and Washington Academy of Sciences. He was also a member of the Cosmos (president, 1913), Chevy Chase and Harvard Clubs of Washington, D.C., the University, Metropolitan and National Arts clubs of New York City, Reading Room of Newport, Rhode Island, the Boston City and Papyrus Clubs of Boston, Sons of the American Revolution and Chi Sigma. He was made a commandant of the American Revolution and Chi Sigma. He was made a commandant of the order of Mejidieh by the Sultan of Turkey in 1901. The honorary degree of L.L.D. was conferred on him by George Washington University in 1912. In 1900 he was appointed by the Swedish Academy of Sciences to nominate a candidate for the Nobel prize in chemistry. In religion, Charles was a Unitarian and in politics, he was a Republican. His love for his profession and for his fellow men and his unfailing consideration for others were his dominating personal characteristics. For recreation, he enjoyed tramping, camping and riding. *************************************** The following is from "Clan Munro" compiled by Alan McNie, published in Jedburgh, Scotland. It is from the chapter entitled "Some Clan Notables". Munroe, Charles E. (1849-1938) Munroe became a pioneering chemical engineer in America. He was descended from a Scottish nobleman. In college he invented a clay filter, widely used by analysts. He as chemist to the Torpedo Corps 1886-92 and there discovered smokeless powder. he conducted the first tests for the armor-piercing shell and discovered the basis later used for the bazooka and shaped charges. References: (1) "History and Genealogy of the Lexington, Mass. Munroes", 2nd ed. by R. S. Munroe - Florence, Massachusetts (1986) - 14-1/10-22-3 - p. 265, 397-399 ----- Compiled and edited by Allen Alger, Genealogist, Clan Munro Association, USA [2]

  
  

• Sources

  [S386] Clan Munro files - Munroe, Charles C., III, Charles C. Munroe, III, Historical & Biographical Sketch of the Monroe (Munroe) an d Monro (Munro) Family - p. 22 (Reliability: 3). [S341] Clan Munro files - Allen, Daniel Thomas, Daniel Thomas Allen, Membership application for Daniel T. Allen dated 7 Jun 1999 (Reliability: 3).