Igor J. Karassik (Russian: Игорь Иванович Карасик) (December 1, 1911 in Saint Petersburg, Russian Empire[1] – July 2, 1995 in Maplewood, New Jersey)[2][3] was a Russian-American engineer known for his pioneering work with pumps, a field in which he was "world-renowned"[4] and an "outstanding authority".[5]
Early life
editKarassik was born to a wealthy Russian-Jewish family.[6] His father, a mechanical engineer, John (Ivan) Karassik (1880—1969) was a son of a Kharkov merchant Nukhim-Perets (Peter) Karasik (c. 1849—1906). His mother Malvina nee Barjansky (1882—1967) was a daughter of an Odessa 1st guild merchant, composer, and pianist Adolf Barjansky (c. 1850—1900). Igor had an older sister Helen (1909—1990). The family emigrated from Russia to escape the Russian Revolution and naturalized the United States in 1923.[1][7][8] His father went to America alone first, naturalized (with the whole family) after 6 years of residence, and then sent for his family. The rest of the family arrived to the United States in 1928, after living five years in Turkey and five years in France.[9][10]
He attended Carnegie Institute of Technology,[11] and also studied in Turkey and France.[3]
Professional life
editIn 1934[11] or 1936,[3] Karassik joined the Worthington Corporation; by 1974, he was a vice-president.[12] He subsequently worked for Dresser Industries.[11] In 1980, he became the first recipient of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers' Henry R. Worthington Medal for achievement in the field of pumping.[13]
He wrote over 1100 technical articles and papers on pump use and maintenance,[3] as well as several books, including Centrifugal Pump Selection, Operation and Maintenance, Engineers' Guide to Centrifugal Pumps, and Centrifugal Pump Clinic;[8] he also co-wrote Pump Questions and Answers,[8] and co-edited Pump Handbook.[8]
In 1996, the Thirteenth Pump Users Symposium was dedicated to his memory.[14]
References
edit- ^ a b Pennsylvania, U.S., Federal Naturalization Records, 1795-1931: Malvina Adolphine Juliane Barjansky Karassik
- ^ Social Security Death Index: Igor J Karassik
- ^ a b c d Igor J. Karassik (1911–1995), by J. T. McGuire, in World Pumps Volume 1995, Issue 349, October 1995, Pages 49–50
- ^ Pump User's Handbook: Life Extension, Fourth Edition, by Heinz P. Bloch and Allan R. Budris, published October 14, 2013 by Fairmont Press
- ^ Current Engineering Practice - Volume 3, Issues 3-12 - Page 98, published 1960
- ^ Russian Empire 1897 census: Odessa: Malvina Barjansky DAOO 2-8-1131-1163 > image 24 of 249
- ^ Pennsylvania, U.S., Federal Naturalization Records, 1795-1931 for John Karassik
- ^ a b c d Igor Karassik - the Pump User's Engineer, by Joe Evans, at Pumps & Systems; published April 2014; retrieved January 20, 2017
- ^ КАРАСИК ИГОРЬ ИВАНОВИЧ, taken from Русские в Северной Америке. Биографический словарь, 2005, ISBN 5-8465-0388-8
- ^ A snapshot of the article "Her Edgewood home is where her heart is now" from Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, shown in 'findagrave' page Malvina Juliane Barjansky Karassik
- ^ a b c A Name Well Chosen: Proceedings of the 12th International Pump Users Symposium, by Igor Karassik; published March 1995; retrieved January 20, 2017
- ^ Power, Volume 118, Part 2, published 1974 by Hill Publishing Company
- ^ Henry R. Worthington Medal, at the American Society of Mechanical Engineers; retrieved January 20, 2017
- ^ A Life Well Traveled: Igor J. Karassik (1911-1995), by JT McGuire; at SplitFlowPumps.com; published March 1996; retrieved January 20, 2017