When Warren Schlinger (BS ʼ44, MS ʼ46, PhD ʼ49) was informed of his acceptance to Caltech, his father gave him $1,000 and told him he had to make it last. According to Warren in an oral history he shared with the Science History Institute Museum & Library prior to his passing in 2017, while his father was never without a job they struggled during the depression of the 1930s. Fortunately, with the addition of a scholarship awarded by the Institute in his second year, Warren was able to earn his bachelor's degree in chemistry in 1944.

"That made life a lot easier," Warren recounted of the financial assistance. He went on to earn a master's degree and PhD in chemical engineering from Caltech as well. Those early years would help to inform a commitment to philanthropy for him and his wife, Katharine, that would benefit a wide range of organizations, including the Institute.

The Warren and Katharine Schlinger Foundation has continued the couple's generosity by contributing $12 million to endow the Warren and Katharine Schlinger Scholarship Fund for undergraduate students studying chemical engineering, a discipline that had a consistent presence in the Schlingers' lives.

"Warren and Katie left an indelible mark on the Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering and on the Institute as a whole," says Caltech Provost David Tirrell, the Ross McCollum-William H. Corcoran Professor of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering and former CCE division chair. "Their legacy will continue in each and every undergraduate who benefits from their scholarships."

An Undeniable Chemistry

As Warren described it, his first year at Caltech was both challenging and inspirational. "Caltech was designed to make you learn how to solve problems, not memorize solutions someone else had developed," said Warren. "It was a great experience."

Warren had another reason to think fondly of Caltech—it was on campus where he would meet his future wife. Katharine, known to friends and family as Katie, grew up in Pasadena and began her career working as the departmental secretary for chemical engineering. At the time, according to Warren, it included just two faculty members: William Lacey and Warren's faculty advisor Bruce Sage. Sage would later receive a Medal for Merit in 1948 from President Harry S. Truman for his work on rocket propellants, alongside future Nobel Laureate Linus Pauling and then-Caltech President Lee A. DuBridge.

After completing his master's degree, Warren considered pursuing other opportunities, yet it was Katie who was reluctant to leave her work at Caltech. Ultimately, Warren stayed on to teach for four years at the Institute before leaving in 1953 to begin a storied career with Texaco, Inc. As manager of the Montebello Research Laboratory, he helped lead the development of processes to produce clean energy. At the end of his career he held 60 patents related to gasification and hydrocarbon processing, and his achievements would result in his election to the National Academy of Engineering. Katie pursued a successful career as a vocal soloist with numerous appearances at the Carmel Bach Festival in central California.

Supporting a New Generation of Researchers

In 2010, Warren and Katie were honored guests at the dedication of the Warren and Katharine Schlinger Laboratory for Chemistry and Chemical Engineering. The four-story building was the first designed to house both disciplines under one roof at Caltech and was named in honor of the couple's generous $20 million donation to the Institute. In keeping with Warren's work in pursuing clean energy, the building incorporates sustainable features reducing its energy use by 28% and water use by 30%.

Over the years, the Schlingers also endowed two graduate fellowship funds, a SURF scholarship, and the Warren and Katharine Schlinger Professorship in Chemistry and Chemical Engineering held most recently by Mark E. Davis, among other gifts to Caltech. They were active members of the Caltech Associates as well, with Warren serving as president and as a board member.

According to Warren, the desire to ensure others had access to a college degree was something that began with his father, William Schlinger. "My father was always aware of the fact that he was never able to go to college," said Warren in 2004. "He wanted to see more people get that opportunity."

"The endowed Warren and Katharine Schlinger Scholarship Fund will help foster successive generations of scientists and engineers by directly supporting students with financial need and ensuring that need is not a barrier to their education," says Sarah Reisman, the Bren Professor of Chemistry and Norman Davidson Leadership Chair of the Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering. "We are grateful for their enduring support."