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Person

Eugene Houdry

A man wearing glasses, a white lab coat, a light blue shirt, and a maroon tie stands against a neutral background.

French-American chemical engineer (1892–1962). Invented catalytic cracking of petroleum in the 1930s, a process that made high-octane aviation fuel cheap and is generally credited with helping the Allies win the Battle of Britain. Spent his later years pushing the auto industry and US regulators to adopt catalytic exhaust treatment, founding a company called Oxy-Catalyst for the purpose. Died of emphysema, convinced his idea would clear the air. It did, twelve years after his death.

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