Josiah Work

From “Work Family History”, vol. I (1969) & vol. II (1994), compiled by Von Gail Hamilton.

Josiah worked for R.W. Hunt Co., Consulting Engineers; Stewart Die Casting, Co.; Electro Galvanizing Co.; Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA). The TVA position he held from 1932-46, started with the railroad crew laying tracks and ended as superintendent of phosphorus and carbide chemical plants. He later went to Pocatello, ID as manager of the phosphorous furnace plant for FMC Corp. A move to New York City as manager of the Carbon Dept. of FMC gave him the opportunity to develop the FMC Coke Process, for which he is well known.

He has traveled to Europe as a consultant on phosphorus furnaces, and enjoyed a reputation in the chemical world as an expert on both phosphorus manufacture and coke. He developed a process for turning the cheap coal of CO and WY into cokeing briquets for use in making steel. A plant at Kemmerer, WY was designed by hm and built under his supervision.

He retired to Harlingen, TX, and still did some consulting work for FMC and privately. He ran some test plots and then went into drip irrigation for citrus orchards. He designed and installed systems in numerous orchards in the Harlingen area. He and Alice owned and operated The Work House - Citrus for many years.

He was elected as an anti-establishment member of the Board of the Water District. He suffered a massive stroke in 1978 from which he never recovered completely.