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			Charles J. Plank Born Nov 8 1915 - Died Oct 23 1989 Catalytic Cracking of Hydrocarbons with a Crystalline Zeolite Catalyst Composite Patent Number(s) 3,140,249 Inducted 1979 Charles J. Plank and Edward J. Rosinski invented the first zeolite catalyst commercially useful in the petroleum industry for catalytic cracking of petroleum into lighter products such as gasoline. Inventor Bio Born in Calcutta, India, where his American parents were Methodist missionaries, Plank returned with his family to the United States the following year and subsequently settled in his father's hometown of Lafayette, Indiana. In 1936 he received a B.S. in mathematics, chemistry, and physics from Purdue University. He later earned an M.S., and in 1942 he received his Ph.D., in physical chemistry from Purdue University. He also holds an honorary Doctor of Science degree from Purdue University. Plank joined the Research Department of Socony-Vacuum Oil Company-the predecessor of Mobil Oil Corporation - in 1941. Practically all of his professional career has been devoted to the field of catalysis. In 1970 he became senior scientist, the highest scientific post, at Mobil's Research and Development Laboratory in New Jersey. His research has led to 83 U.S. patents and several hundred in other countries.