George Rieveschl

George Rieveschl (January 9, 1916^[1] – September 27, 2007) was an American chemist and professor. He was the inventor of the popular antihistamine diphenhydramine (Benadryl), which he first made while searching for potential muscle relaxant drugs.^[1]

George Rieveschl
Born	(1916-01-09)January 9, 1916 Lockland, Ohio, U.S.
Died	September 27, 2007(2007-09-27) (aged 91) Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.
Alma mater	University of Cincinnati
Occupation	Chemical Engineer
Known for	Inventing the popular antihistamine diphenhydramine
Spouse	Ellen
Children	2

Early life and education

Born in Arlington Heights, Ohio, Rieveschl was the son of George and Alma Hoffling Rieveschl.^[1] He initially attended the Ohio Mechanics Institute, graduating in 1933, before earning bachelors, masters, and PhD degrees in chemistry^[2] at the University of Cincinnati (UC).^[1]

Career

After receiving his PhD in 1940, Rieveschl returned to the University of Cincinnati where he served as a professor of chemical engineering, and later a professor of materials science. At the university, he led a research program searching for potential muscle relaxant drugs.^[1] In 1943, one of his students, Fred Huber, synthesized diphenhydramine. Rieveschl worked with Parke-Davis to test the compound, and the company licensed the patent from him. In 1947 Parke-Davis hired him as their director of research. While he was there, he led the development of a similar drug, orphenadrine.^[3]

Rieveschl remained active in the Cincinnati-area science and arts community until his death at age 91 from pneumonia. He had contributed an estimated $10 million to his alma mater, according to a UC spokeswoman.^[1]

The main life sciences building on the campus of the University of Cincinnati is named for Rieveschl.^[2]