Ralph Harper McKee
McKee at Columbia University, 1923 | |
| Biographical details | |
|---|---|
| Born | June 20, 1874 Missouri, U.S. |
| Died | February 24, 1967 (aged 92) New York, New York, U.S. |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| 1895–1900 | Carthage |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 19–6–1 |
Ralph Harper McKee (June 20, 1874 – February 24, 1967) was an American chemical engineer, inventor, and college football coach. He was professor at the department of chemical engineering at Columbia University. McKee was the first person to be awarded a patent for a novel plant.[1]
Biography
McKee was born on June 20, 1874, in Missouri, to James T. McKee and Mary Frances Ricketts. A native of Clinton, Missouri, he graduated from the University of Wooster—now known as the College of Wooster—in 1895. That year, he was hired as the chair of mathematics and astronomy at Carthage College, located in Carthage, Illinois.[2] McKee was the first head football coach at Carthage, serving for six seasons, from 1895 to 1900, and compiling a record of 19–6–1.[3] He earned a Doctor of Philosophy degree from the University of Chicago, in 1901. He was a professor of chemistry at Lake Forest College from 1902 until 1909, when he moved to the University of Maine.[4]
In 1923 he and Max Kahn developed a novel fat substitute, called intarvin.[5][6]
He was married, and in 1928 he and his wife divorced.[7]
By 1932 he was in the department of chemical engineering at Columbia University where he was able to manufacture diamonds "larger than ever before produced artificially" and was able to produce artificial wool from jute.[8]
In 1938, he received the first patent issued for a novel plant variety.[1][9]
McKee died on February 24, 1967, in Manhattan.[1]
Head coaching record
| Year | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Bowl/playoffs | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carthage Red Men (Independent) (1895–1900) | |||||||||
| 1895 | Carthage | 2–0 | |||||||
| 1896 | Carthage | 4–0 | |||||||
| 1897 | Carthage | 3–1 | |||||||
| 1898 | Carthage | 3–0 | |||||||
| 1899 | Carthage | 3–2–1 | |||||||
| 1900 | Carthage | 4–3 | |||||||
| Carthage: | 19–6–1 | ||||||||
| Total: | 19–6–1 | ||||||||
References
- ^ a b c "Dr. Ralph M'Kee, 92, Patented A Poplar". The New York Times. February 27, 1967. Retrieved December 23, 2013.
- ^ "With Carthage College". Daily Democrat. Clinton, Missouri. August 20, 1895. p. 2. Retrieved December 26, 2025 – via Newspapers.com .
- ^ a b "Carthage College Record Book Football 2025" (PDF). Carthage College. p. 17. Retrieved December 26, 2025.
- ^ "Many Changes At The U Of M". Bangor Daily News. Bangor, Maine. August 16, 1909. p. 9. Retrieved December 26, 2025 – via Newspapers.com .
- ^ "Dr. Kahn Reveals Diabetes Remedy. A Complement of Insulin Discovered by Beth Israel Professor and Associates. Dr. Ralph H. McKee of Columbia Works Out Manufacture". The New York Times. August 3, 1923. Retrieved December 28, 2013.
- ^ "Intarvin". Time magazine. August 20, 1923. Retrieved December 28, 2013.
- ^ "Court Refuses to Halt Florida Divorce Action. Denial in McKee Case". The New York Times. May 5, 1928. Retrieved December 28, 2013.
- ^ "Diamonds Are Made By A New Process. 1-20th Carat Gems, the Largest Ever Obtained Artificially, Produced at Columbia. Graduate Holds Patent. Cost Under Barnett's Method Put at $5 a Carat. Jeweler Doubts Commercial Value. Synthetic Wool Invented. Prof. McKee Develops Substitute From Jute Fibers Which Can Be Made for 25 Cents a Pound". The New York Times. April 13, 1932. Retrieved December 28, 2013.
- ^ "New Record Set in 1937 Patents For Invention of Plant Varieties. Forty-nine Grants Made Include Those for 'Thornless' and 'Almost Black' Roses. New York Man Takes the Lead". The New York Times. January 9, 1938. Retrieved December 23, 2013.