EEC's FOUNDER: MARLIN S. WALMER

EEC Founder Marlin S. Walmer (1/11/29 – 12/12/99)

Marlin S. Walmer was a pioneer in the rare earth magnet industry.

In 1968, the US Air Force introduced technology using rare earth cobalt magnets. Marlin was struck by the potential of this new technology and dedicated a thirty-plus year career to the development and commercialization of samarium cobalt-based rare earth magnets.

Under his direction, magnets produced at EEC have enhanced many high tech devices used in aerospace, spacecraft, satellites, telecommunication, marine vessels, military systems, and medical science.

A tireless innovator, Marlin brought together researchers and engineers from around the world. He and his colleagues at EEC collaborated with members of several research institutes to develop a new class of ultra-high temperature Sm-T_M magnet materials for use in applications that operate at temperatures up to 550°C, a break-through that paved the way for new applications.

Marlin proudly served in the US Navy from 1946 to 1948. An alumnus of Lehigh University (BS 1952) and Franklin & Marshall College (MS 1958), he began his career as a metallurgical engineer at the Hamilton Watch Company. At Hamilton, he worked with platinum cobalt magnets used in wristwatches. It was this work that laid the foundation for his pursuit to develop, commercialize, and improve rare earth magnets over the next 30 years.