George Rieveschl

Who was George Rieveschl?

Dr. George Rieveschl was an American chemist and professor. He was the inventor of the popular antihistamine diphenhydramine, which he first made during a search for synthetic alternatives to scopolamine.

Born in Arlington Heights, Ohio, he attended the Ohio Mechanics Institute before earning bachelors, masters, and PhD degrees at the University of Cincinnati. Rieveschl returned to the University of Cincinnati where he served as a professor of chemical engineering, and later a professor of materials science.

Rieveschl remained active in the Cincinnati-area science and arts community until his death at age 91 from pneumonia. He had contributed an estimated $10 million to his alma mater, according to a UC spokeswoman.

The main life sciences building on the campus of the University of Cincinnati is named for Rieveschl.