Charles Martin Hall's Discovery – Feb. 1886

Charles Martin Hall

Having worked in Oberlin for more than three years now, I've become more interested in the history of the city and college than I normally would have been.

For instance, for years I've been vaguely aware that Charles Martin Hall is famous for having discovered a way to extract aluminum from its ore cheaply through electrolysis. But I had no idea he did it shortly after graduating from Oberlin College. I thought he was the stereotypical older scientist, laboring away in his laboratory.

As noted on the Oberlin College website, "On February 23, 1886, less than eight months after graduating, his experiments paid off. Hall produced aluminum metal by passing an electric current through a solution of aluminum oxide in molten cryolite."

I pass his former house (the site of his discovery) every day on the way to and from work. And there's even a plaque out front that I've never even noticed.

And that tablet was unveiled back on October 30, 1928 as noted in the Lorain Journal from that date. I'm guessing that perhaps the tablet was originally affixed to the house or something else.

Hall became rich from his discovery, and after his death in 1914 left one third of his estate to Oberlin College (approximately $10 million). Among other things, this helped preserve Tappan Square and built Hall Auditorium.

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I guess I'm kind of disappointed that a tall, aluminum statue of Charles Martin Hall on the second floor of the Science Center is routinely decorated, as if he was a concrete porch goose. What a way to honor someone who donated $10 million!