Colin Garfield Fink was born in Hoboken, New Jersey on December 31, 1881. After graduation from Columbia University in 1903, he went to Leipzig for graduate study. Here he received the Ph.D. degree with highest honors. Returning to America he joined the research staff of the General Electric Company. In 1917 Dr. Fink became chief chemist for the Chile Exploration Company and went from that position, in 1921, to Columbia where he became head of the Division of Electrochemistry. Following retirement from active teaching in 1950, he was appointed emeritus professor of chemical engineering.
The professional career of Dr. Fink was threefold: scientist, educator, and executive secretary-editor. Among his best-know research projects were those that led to ductile tungsten for incandescent lamp filaments, an insoluble anode for electrowinning copper, an electrolytic process for the faithful restoration of corroded ancient bronzes, the development of hot dipped aluminum coatings, the electrodeposition of metals, and in particular, a commercial process for chromium plating. He was the author of over 200 papers and help many patents.
Among the many honors received by Dr. Fink were the Acheson Medal and Prize in 1933 (he donated the $1,000 to the Society’s Roeber Research Fund) and the Perkin Medal in 1934. He received an honorary D.Sc. degree and was elected Honorary Member of The Electrochemical Society in 1946.
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