Herman Samuel Bloch (June 15, 1912 – June 16, 1990) was an American chemist and an inventor. Bloch invented the catalytic converter, a device that removes pollutants from automobile exhaust fumes. [1] Bloch held more than 270 patents. [2] He was the deputy director of research of the aerospace company AlliedSignal Inc, and chairman of the Cook County Housing Authority. [3] He received the Chemical Pioneer Award in 1989 from the American Institute of Chemists. [4] He received the Ernest J. Houdry Award in Applied Catalysis, [2] the E. V. Murphree Award in Industrial and Engineering Chemistry in 1974, [2] and the Richard J. Kokes Memorial Award and Lectureship from Johns Hopkins University in 1971. [5] Bloch was elected to the National Academy of Sciences in 1975. [2]
Bloch was born in Chicago, Illinois. His parents were Ukrainian-Jewish [6] [7] immigrants Aaron and Esther Bloch. [2] He received his B.A. and Ph.D. in organic chemistry in 1936 from the University of Chicago.