Dr. George Sperti ( - ) Researcher

b. Covington.

George Speri Sperti, of Burlington, Ky., was founder of the basic science laboratory of the University of Cincinnati and founder and head of the Institute of the Divine Thomas. While still a young man Sperti invented and perfected an instrument for precisely measuring the vast quantities of electricity used by major industries. He was invited to begin a new basic sciences program at the U.C. Later in his own labs he developed a sunlamp, an Iodine wound ointment and Preparation H. He also irradiated foods, esp. milk. The income from his commercial products financed the Institute allowing him to charge no tuition. A branch of the Institute was in Florida. During World War II when the seaweed base for agar used in petrel dishes was cut off by the Japanese he and Dr. Kowalski, later dean of the U.C. College of Pharmacy, working from the Florida facility developed a war-time substitute. He served on the U.S. War Production Board. He later owned a farm in Burlington where he lived and raised thousands of laboratory rats.

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References:

Dave Beasley