Summary
Igor J. Karassik (December 1, 1911 in Saint Petersburg, Russian Empire[1] – July 2, 1995 in Maplewood, New Jersey)[2][3] was a Russian-American engineer known for his pioneering work with pumps, a field in which he was "world-renowned"[4] and an "outstanding authority".[5]
Early life edit
Karassik was born to a wealthy Russian-Jewish family.[6] His father, a mechanical engineer, Ivan Karassik (1880—1969) was a son of a Kharkov merchant Nukhim-Perets (Peter) Karasik (c. 1849—1906). His mother Malvina Barjansky (1882—1967) was a daughter of an Odessa 1st guild merchant, composer, and pianist Adolf Barjansky (c. 1850—1900). Igor had an older sister Helen (1909—1990). The family immigrated to the United States in 1923[1][7] to escape the Russian Revolution.[8] He attended Carnegie Institute of Technology,[9] and also studied in Turkey and France.[3]
Professional life edit
In 1934[9] or 1936,[3] Karassik joined the Worthington Corporation; by 1974, he was a vice-president.[10] He subsequently worked for Dresser Industries.[9] In 1980, he became the first recipient of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers' Henry R. Worthington Medal for achievement in the field of pumping.[11]
He wrote over 1100 technical articles and papers on pump use and maintenance,[3] as well as several books, including Centrifugal Pump Selection, Operation and Maintenance, Engineers' Guide to Centrifugal Pumps, and Centrifugal Pump Clinic;[8] he also co-wrote Pump Questions and Answers,[8] and co-edited Pump Handbook.[8]
In 1996, the Thirteenth Pump Users Symposium was dedicated to his memory.[12]
References edit
- ^ a b Pennsylvania, U.S., Federal Naturalization Records, 1795-1931: Malvina Adolphine Juliane Barjansky Karassik
- ^ Social Security Death Index: Igor J Karassik
- ^ a b c d Igor J. Karassik (1911–1995), by J. T. McGuire, in World Pumps Volume 1995, Issue 349, October 1995, Pages 49–50
- ^ Pump User's Handbook: Life Extension, Fourth Edition, by Heinz P. Bloch and Allan R. Budris, published October 14, 2013 by Fairmont Press
- ^ Current Engineering Practice - Volume 3, Issues 3-12 - Page 98, published 1960
- ^ Russian Empire 1897 census: Odessa: Malvina Barjansky DAOO 2-8-1131-1163 > image 24 of 249
- ^ Pennsylvania, U.S., Federal Naturalization Records, 1795-1931 for John Karassik
- ^ a b c d Igor Karassik - the Pump User's Engineer, by Joe Evans, at Pumps & Systems; published April 2014; retrieved January 20, 2017
- ^ a b c A Name Well Chosen: Proceedings of the 12th International Pump Users Symposium, by Igor Karassik; published March 1995; retrieved January 20, 2017
- ^ Power, Volume 118, Part 2, published 1974 by Hill Publishing Company
- ^ Henry R. Worthington Medal, at the American Society of Mechanical Engineers; retrieved January 20, 2017
- ^ A Life Well Traveled: Igor J. Karassik (1911-1995), by JT McGuire; at SplitFlowPumps.com; published March 1996; retrieved January 20, 2017