Name: James “Paraffin” Young
Born: 1811 in Glasgow, Scotland
Died: 1883 in Wemyss Bay, Scotland
Profession: Chemist
See also:
A student of Thomas Graham who went on to be a famous Chemist in his own right for his pioneering work in petroleum refining. He founded the Scottish oil shale industry and was one of the first to apply chemical methods to oil handling. The basic process used to is the same as that used in modern oil refineries today. James Young has often been called the “Father of the modern petrochemical industry” and his original company is now part of BP.