tto H. York, of Madison, N.J., is a chemical engineer, inventor and entrepreneur. York worked his way through Purdue University, earning a B.S. in chemical engineering in 1934. He worked in the research laboratories of several large companies during the early part of his career, and during World War II, became involved in military research, inventing several technical refinements that improved the safety and efficiency of fighter plans.

In 1947, he founded the Otto H. York Company to develop and market DEMISTER, a device made of knitted wire mesh pads used in the chemical and petroleum industries to improve the performance of process vessels. The pads remove mist from any gas stream and are fitted into evaporators, columns, towers, pressure vessels, scrubbers, and other devices. The company was eventually sold to Foster Wheeler Corporation.

York also manages the York Foundation, which provides money to charities, community organizations and to environmental and chemical engineering research enterprises. A long-time friend and benefactor to NJIT, York has provided a number of gifts to the university and has served on the Trustee's Advisory Committee to the Department of Chemical Engineering, Chemistry and Environmental Science. In 1991, York pledged a gift of $1 million to be used for facility improvement. In his honor, the university dedicated the Otto H. York Center for Environmental Engineering and Science