James R. Fair

Who was James R. Fair?

James Rutherford Fair PhD P.E., also known as Jim Fair or James R. Fair, was a notable American chemical engineer. His professional career included 33 years working in a variety of industrial positions, primarily for Monsanto Company.

In 1979, he shifted to academia, joining the University of Texas at Austin School of Chemical Engineering, where he founded the Separations Research Program, which he headed from 1982 until 1996. Although he officially retired in 1992, he remained active as professor emeritus until his death in 2010.

He was particularly noted for his research into separation technologies, especially distillation and extraction. Dr. Fair was a registered Professional Engineer in Missouri and Texas. He published more than 200 technical papers and book chapters.