Sam Eyde

{{Infobox scientist

| name = Samuel Eyde

| image = Sam Eyde photographed 1910.jpg

| caption = Sam Eyde photographed in 1910

| birth_date = {{birth date|1866|10|29|df=y}}

| birth_place = Arendal, Norway

| death_date = {{death date and age|df=yes|1940|6|21|1867|10|29}}

| death_place = Åsgårdstrand, Norway

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| known_for = Birkeland–Eyde process

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Samuel Eyde (29 October 1866 – 21 June 1940) was a Norwegian engineer and industrialist. He was the founder of both Norsk Hydro and Elkem.{{cite web|url=http://avtrykk.no/portrett-av-en-ung-sam-eyde|title=Portrett av en ung Sam Eyde|publisher=avtrykk.no

|accessdate= August 1, 2017}}

Personal life

Eyde was born in Arendal in Aust-Agder, Norway. He was a son of ship-owner Samuel Eyde (1819–1902) and his wife Elina Christine Amalie Stephansen (1829–1906).{{cite encyclopedia|year=|title=Sam Eyde|encyclopedia=Norsk biografisk leksikon|first=Ole Kristian|last=Grimnes|authorlink=Ole Kristian Grimnes|editor=Helle, Knut|editor-link=Knut Helle|publisher=Kunnskapsforlaget|location=Oslo|url=http://www.snl.no/.nbl_biografi/Sam_Eyde/utdypning|language=no|accessdate=28 March 2012}} He was a first cousin of Alf Scott-Hansen on the maternal side.{{cite news|title=Sam Eyde. Eventyrgutten som skapte to byer|last=Norland|first=Andreas|author-link=Andreas Norland|date=4 November 1972|work=A-magasinet|page=19|language=no}}

In August 1895 he married Countess Ulla Mörner (1873–1961), but the marriage was dissolved in 1912. In February 1913 he married actress Elly Simonsen (1885–1960).

Career

Eyde studied engineering in Berlin where he graduated in 1891. He started his career in Hamburg, working with the railways where he planned new lines, bridges and stations. In 1897 he started the engineering firm Gleim & Eyde with his previous boss from Hamburg. He soon established offices in Kristiania (now Oslo) and Stockholm. By the turn of the century the firm was one of the largest in Scandinavia, with some 30 engineers.{{cite book |author1=Payton, Gary |author2=Lepperød, Trond |name-list-style=amp |title=Rjukanbanen; på sporet av et industrieventyr |publisher=Mana Forlag |location=Rjukan |year=1995 |language=no |pages=20–24}}

File:Rjukan Sam Eide monument (9458992992).jpg

In 1902, Eyde acquired control over Rjukan Falls in Telemark. He also held rights to waterfalls at Arendal and Notodden. Eyde planned to use the hydropower for industrial purposes. In 1905 Rjukan Falls was producing hydro electrical power for Potassium nitrate production. This led to the development of the town of Rjukan as an industrial centre. In 1912 Eyde contributed to the development of Arendal Smelteverk at Eydehavn for the production of silicon carbide.{{cite web|url= https://snl.no/Sam_Eyde |title= Sam Eyde|publisher = Store norske leksikon|accessdate= August 1, 2017}}{{cite web|url= http://www.aaks.no/Eydehavn/Bedriftene/Smelteverket/bedriftshistorie|title= A/S Arendal Smelteverk - bedriftshistorie|publisher= Aust-Agder kulturhistoriske senter|author= Bård Raustøl|access-date= August 1, 2017|url-status= dead|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20071215081324/http://www.aaks.no/Eydehavn/Bedriftene/Smelteverket/bedriftshistorie|archive-date= December 15, 2007|df= }} The plant is now part of the Norwegian company Fiven ASA and one of the oldest silicon carbide producing plants worldwide.{{Cite web|title=About us {{!}} Fiven|url=https://www.fiven.com/company-information/about-us/|access-date=2022-01-14|website=www.fiven.com|language=en}}

In 1903, Eyde met with Kristian Birkeland, who was a scientist, inventor and professor of physics at the University of Christiania. Birkeland was working on developing an electric arc, while Eyde had recently bought the rights to several waterfalls in Telemark. They agreed to cooperate to develop an electric flame. This allowed Eyde to establish Det Norske Aktieselskap for Eletrokemisk Industri (today Elkem) along with members of the Wallenberg family who he had met in Sweden. The factory at Notodden opening on 2 May 1905.{{cite web

|url= https://www.plasma-universe.com/Kristian_Birkeland|title= Kristian Birkeland|publisher = The Plasma Universe theory

|accessdate= August 1, 2017}}{{cite web|url= http://yara.com/about/history/1900-1905/three_remarkable_men.aspx|title= Three remarkable men|publisher= yara.com|access-date= August 1, 2017|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20170821125458/http://yara.com/about/history/1900-1905/three_remarkable_men.aspx|archive-date= 2017-08-21|url-status= dead|df= }}

In 1905 he founded Norsk Hydro-Elektrisk Kvælstofaktieselskab (now Norsk Hydro). Eyde remained director-general of both companies. He was director-general of Norsk Hydro until 1917.Sam Eyde: Mitt Liv og Mitt Livsverk (Gyldendal 1939) pp 439-448 He was offered a position on the board, where he remained until 1925, and a compensation of {{NOK|250,000}} for ten years, and {{NOK|100,000}} for the rest of his life.{{cite web |url=http://www.visitvemork.com/dnn/LinkClick.aspx?link=kunnskapsbase%2fEydes_avgang.pdf&tabid=108&mid=437 |author=Norsk Industriarbeidermuseum |author-link=Norsk Industriarbeidermuseum |title=Sam Eyde 1917 |date=2006-04-07 |accessdate=2008-06-20 |language=no}}{{dead link|date=December 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}

He was a member of the Norwegian Parliament in the period 1918–1920.{{Cite web|url = https://www.viten.no/biografi/vis.html?tid=452493|title = Viten.no|date = |accessdate = |website = |publisher = }} In 1920, Eyde was appointed as Norwegian Minister to the United States.{{cite news | title = Norway minister arrives | work = The Washington Post | date = 31 December 1920 | page = 6 }}