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CHE Department History - CHE "Firsts"
CHE's First Graduate - 1920
 Chemical
engineering was first offered at UF in 1916 (only eight years after AIChE was
founded nationally), and in 1920 the first graduate came down the pipeline—John
Sundy of Delray, Florida. There was no student AIChE then, but he was a member
of the Chemical Society and the Agricultural Club. He died about ten years
before this departmental history was begun, but his daughter was located and
kindly provided information about his background and career.
John Dewey Sundy was the son of John S. Sundy, founder and first mayor of Delray
Beach, Florida. After obtaining his B.S. from UF, John served several years in
the army before going to work for General Chemical Co. in East St. Louis,
Missouri. He later transferred to New York and supervised the construction and
start-up of aluminum sulfate plants throughout the South. In 1945, he moved to
Savannah where he was instrumental in developing the use of calcined Georgia
chimney rock red clay in aluminum sulfate plants. This provided a valuable
source of bauxite to counter the shortage caused by Communist troubles in the
bauxite-producing countries of South America.
In 1955, Sundy moved to Jacksonville, where he built a plant for Allied Chemical
Corporation, General Chemical's parent company.
This move allowed him to travel easily to Cuba, where he eventually built a
plant just outside of Havana. The plant was later taken over by Castro, but
before long had to be shut down due to a lack of expertise of those running it.
Sundy was very proud of the fact that he was able to help many of his Cuban
engineering friends escape the Communists and relocate their families in the
United States.
Sundy retired in 1967, but continued to serve as a consultant for Allied
Chemical for several more years. In retirement, he and a friend developed a
country club and a 27-hole golf course (Willow Lakes) on the west side of
Jacksonville. An avid golfer himself, he involved young people in the sport by
designating times when high schools in Jacksonville could send their teams to
his course for instruction and practice. He was a deacon in his church and was
active in many service clubs. John Sundy was a fine model for later CHE
graduates to follow.
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