Igor Karassik
Introduction
Igor J. Karassik (1911 – July 2, 1995 in Maplewood, New Jersey) was a Russian-American engineer known for his pioneering work with pumps, a field in which he was "world-renowned" and an "outstanding authority".
Early life
Karassik was born to an aristocratic Russian family, who immigrated to the United States in 1917 to escape the Russian Revolution. He attended Carnegie Institute of Technology, and also studied in Turkey and France.
Professional life
In 1934 or 1936, Karassik joined the Worthington Corporation; by 1974, he was a vice-president. He subsequently worked for Dresser Industries. 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.
He wrote over 1100 technical articles and papers on pump use and maintenance, as well as several books, including Centrifugal Pump Selection, Operation and Maintenance, Engineers' Guide to Centrifugal Pumps, and Centrifugal Pump Clinic; he also co-wrote Pump Questions and Answers, and co-edited Pump Handbook.
In 1996, the Thirteenth Pump Users Symposium was dedicated to his memory.