Arthur Dehon Little

Arthur Dehon Little was not just a consultant; he was an architect of modern industry. A MIT-trained chemist, he grew frustrated with the gap between laboratory science and factory production. In 1886, he co-founded one of the world's first technical consulting firms, which would become Arthur D. Little. His genius was in systematizing innovation. He championed the concept of 'industrial research'—dedicated, client-funded R&D—and coined the term 'unit operations' to break complex chemical processes into manageable, repeatable steps, a framework that became the bedrock of chemical engineering education. His firm tackled diverse problems, from developing synthetic leather to analyzing the pulp and paper industry, always with a focus on practical application. Little believed science should serve commerce, and his work provided the blueprint for the 20th-century corporate research lab, making him a pivotal figure in the marriage of science and industry.