Famed chemist, UI icon Malcolm Renfrew dies at 103

MOSCOW - Malcolm Renfrew, the esteemed alumnus and professor emeritus of chemistry at the University of Idaho, died Saturday at the age of 103, on the evening of his birthday.

Renfrew died at his residence at Moscow Good Samaritan Village. A longtime family friend and fellow UI chemistry professor, Jean'ne Shreeve, was with him.

Renfrew had a storied career as a chemist and was recognized multiple times for his contributions to science and UI.

UI interim Provost Katherine Aiken said Renfrew "set an example of what it really meant to be a citizen of the University of Idaho."

"He was just such a remarkable individual on so many levels, and we will miss seeing him," Aiken said.

Renfrew, born in 1910 in Spokane, graduated from Potlatch High School in 1928 before attending UI. There, he earned a chemistry degree in 1932 and a master's degree in 1934. It was at UI where he met Carol, his wife of 71 years. They married in 1938 after Renfrew earned his doctoral degree at the University of Minnesota.

The Renfrews then moved to New Jersey, where Malcolm worked as a research chemist for DuPont. In the midst of World War II, he supervised the team responsible for developing Teflon. He is credited with writing the first research paper on the substance and - after World War II ended - DuPont chose him to speak at an American Chemical Society meeting to announce the properties and commercial availability of the new product. His speech made national news. He continued to develop uses for Teflon, and his name is on several initial patents.

Renfrew returned to UI in 1959 after accepting a position as head of the UI Department of Physical Sciences. His career there spanned 17 years, during which he developed doctoral programs in chemistry and physics.

He earned many awards in his retirement, both nationally and from UI, for his work. He received the James Flack Norris Award for his contributions to physical organic chemistry. He also received the American Chemical Society Global Salute to Polymers Award in 1999.

In 1985, to mark Renfrew's 75th birthday, the Physical Sciences Building at UI was named Malcolm M. Renfrew Hall. On Renfrew's 100th birthday, Idaho Gov. C.L. (Butch) Otter proclaimed Oct. 12, 2010, to be Malcolm M. Renfrew Day in Idaho. That same day, UI established the Malcolm M. Renfrew Interdisciplinary Colloquium, a series of lectures by UI faculty about their approach to teaching and research in their respective disciplines.

He and Carol remained in Moscow after he retired. They became known for their involvement in the school and the community. They would attend concerts, plays, lectures and athletic events at the university and were named Homecoming Parade grand marshals and Moscow Renaissance Fair king and queen.

In his retirement, Renfrew pursued his passion for art. He became a prolific watercolor painter and joined the Palouse Watercolor Socius in the 1990s. His work was featured at a special exhibit at the Latah County Fair in 2007. Most of his paintings are of places he and Carol visited during their travels to every continent except Antarctica.

No date has yet been set for a funeral service. The Renfrews were members of the First Presbyterian Church in Moscow. Carol died in 2010 at age 96. They had two surviving nieces and no children.