John C.

Haas
John Charles Haas (May 22, 1918 – April 2, 2011)
was an American businessman and philanthropist, at John C. Haas
one time considered the second richest man in
Philadelphia.[1] He was the chairman of global
chemical company Rohm and Haas from 1974 to
1978.[2] Under his leadership, the family's William
Penn Foundation became a $2 billion grantmaking
institution, ranking as one of the largest such
institutions in the United States.[3]

Early life and education

John Haas was the son of Otto Haas, founder of the
chemical company Rohm and Haas, and his wife,
astronomer Phoebe Waterman Haas. Rohm and Haas Chemical Heritage Foundation, 2005
was founded by Otto Haas and Otto Rohm in Germany
Born May 22, 1918
in 1907. Originally a leather-tanning business, the
Haverford, Pennsylvania
company expanded into the United States, opening a
branch in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1911.[4] It Died April 2, 2011 (aged 92)
subsequently became a more broadly based chemical Villanova, Pennsylvania
and plastics company.[5] Nationality American
Alma mater Amherst College
John Haas grew up in Haverford, Pennsylvania, with
Massachusetts Institute of
his parents and his older brother F. Otto Haas.[2] He
Technology
attended the Quaker Haverford Friends School, and
Spouse Chara A. Haas (nee Cooper)
then Episcopal Academy, from which he graduated in
(1952–2011) (his death) (5
1936.[5][6]
children)
Haas attended Amherst College, where he received a Scientific career
bachelor's degree in 1940, majoring in chemistry. He Fields chemical engineering
then went to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology,
Institutions Rohm and Haas
receiving a master's degree in chemical engineering in
United Way
1942.[2]
Boys and Girls Club
American Chemical Society
American Institute of Chemical
Career and family Engineers
William Penn Foundation
John Haas was employed as a process engineer at
Rohm and Haas as of 1942, working at the Bridesburg
plant in Philadelphia. After serving in the navy during World War II, he returned to Rohm and Haas in
1946. He worked as a manager in the company's production facilities in Knoxville, Tenn., and Houston,
Texas. In Houston, he met his future wife, Chara A. Cooper (1927-2012). The couple were married in
Bryn Athyn on June 21, 1952.[7] They later lived in Wyncote, Pennsylvania, and then at Stoneleigh, the
Haas family estate in Villanova.[7] They had five children: a daughter, Barbara, and four sons, David,
Leonard, Frederick and Duncan.[5]

John Haas became vice president in charge of personnel in 1953, a position in which he promoted the
advancement of women and minorities.[8] He was named vice chairman of the board in 1959. After his
father's death in 1960, Haas became executive vice president, and his brother F. Otto Haas became
president and chief executive officer.[9] John Haas became chairman in 1974, and served as chairman
from 1974 to 1978.[10] After stepping down as chairman, he continued to serve on the board until 1988.[3]

Philanthropy
In 1960,[10] Haas was named chairman of the William Penn Foundation, originally established by his
parents in 1945 as the Phoebe Waterman Charitable Foundation, to address post-war social problems.[6]

In 2006, Haas and his wife Chara established their own foundation, the Stoneleigh Foundation. He credits
his wife with the inspiration to use their personal fortune to target the needs of vulnerable and
underserved children and families.[2][10]

In 2009, Rohm and Haas was sold to Dow Chemical Co. for $15.3 billion.[5] The sale allowed Haas and
other family members to substantially expand their charitable activities, through the William Penn
Foundation, and the newly created Wyncote Foundation.[5][10] The Wyncote Foundation has given
substantially to causes such as the United Way of Southeastern Pennsylvania[10] and the Philadelphia
Orchestra.[11]

Throughout his life Haas was active with many charitable organizations, including the United Way of
Southeastern Pennsylvania, the Boys and Girls Clubs of Philadelphia, the Natural Lands Trust, and the
Opportunities Industrialization Center of America, established by Baptist civil rights leader Leon
Sullivan. As a civic leader, John Haas helped to found the Balch Institute for Ethnic Studies in 1976,
served on the board of governors of Temple University Health System, and was a trustee emeritus at the
Massachusetts Institute of Technology.[2]

Haas was instrumental in establishing the Center for the History of Chemistry (later the Chemical
Heritage Foundation, now the Science History Institute).[6] The John C. Haas Archive of Science and
Business at the Chemical Heritage Foundation is named in his honor, and includes the Rohm and Haas
Company archives.[12][13][14][15]

John C. Haas and his brother F. Otto Haas received the Edward Powell Memorial Award in 1987 for their
philanthropic work in Philadelphia. They donated the award's cash prize to the Philadelphia Committee
for the Homeless.[16] Haas was elected to the American Philosophical Society in 1992.[17]

Political activities
John was an early opponent of the Vietnam War.[8] Seeing the dangers of the cold war and nuclear
proliferation, he generously supported organizations such as Project Ploughshares. Haas co-founded
several organizations, including Business Executives for Nuclear Arms Control (BENAC), Professionals
for Nuclear Arms Control (PRONAC), and the Project for Nuclear Awareness (PNA). He was
instrumental in supporting the Chemical Weapons Convention, signed by President George H. W. Bush
and passed through the Senate during President Bill Clinton's term of office. He supported the START
Treaty and the defusing of cold war tensions by Mikhail Gorbachev, George Bush Sr., and Bill Clinton,
and the bipartisan New START Treaty passed by the U.S. Senate and President Obama in 2010. Since
2008, the John C. & Chara C. Haas Award for International Peace and Social Justice has been awarded in
the names of the Haas's.[18]

Conservation
He was also an active proponent of conservation. In 2009 he and his wife gave a 160-acre hamlet known
as Waterloo Mills, in Easttown Township, Chester County, to the Brandywine Conservancy for permanent
preservation. They also entrusted 200 acres near Waterloo Mills to the Conservancy. Another 35 acres,
with a mansion, were given to Episcopal Academy for a Lower School campus.[5] Initiatives supported
by the William Penn Foundation have included grants to Fairmount Park in Philadelphia, and the
development of the Delaware River waterfront.[5]

As of April 20, 2016, the Haas family donated the 42-acre Stoneleigh estate in Villanova, including its
Tudor Revival mansion, to Natural Lands. The garden was originally planned by the Olmsted Brothers,
landscape architects John Charles Olmsted and Frederick Law Olmsted Jr. in a naturalistic style. In
developing the garden, Natural Lands has emphasized native plants and sustainable ecological design.
The decorative rabbits, which are a popular feature of the estate, will remain and, in fact, were
refurbished as the original sculpture was rotting after years of outdoor exposure. The Main House was
fully renovated to serve as offices and event space for Natural Lands' staff and to house the Organ
Historical Society's library and archives.[19]

Later life
John Haas died of natural causes on April 2, 2011, at the age of 92.[7][10][20][21][22]

External links
Finding aid to The Rohm & Haas Company archives, 1743-1998 (http://othmerlib.sciencehist
ory.org/record=b1059338~S6), Science History Institute

References
1. Baltzell, E. Digby (1996). Puritan Boston & Quaker Philadelphia (https://books.google.com/b
ooks?id=Y6ZL0-hg2owC&pg=PA210) (7. print. ed.). New Brunswick, N.J.: Transaction
Publishers. ISBN 978-1-56000-830-9. Retrieved 24 November 2014.
 2. Downey, Sally A. (April 3, 2011). "John C. Haas, 92, retired Rohm & Haas chairman and
philanthropist, dies" (https://web.archive.org/web/20110407145010/http://articles.philly.com/
2011-04-03/news/29377428_1_rohm-haas-otto-haas-charitable-foundation). The
Philadelphia Inquirer. Archived from the original (http://articles.philly.com/2011-04-03/news/2
9377428_1_rohm-haas-otto-haas-charitable-foundation) on April 7, 2011. Retrieved
24 November 2014.
3. "Philadelphia Philanthropist John C. Haas Dies at 92" (http://philanthropynewsdigest.org/ne
ws/philadelphia-philanthropist-john-c.-haas-dies-at-92). Philanthropy News Digest. April 5,
2011. Retrieved 24 November 2014.
4. "Finding aid to The Rohm & Haas Company archives, 1743-1998" (http://othmerlib.sciencehi
story.org/record=b1059338~S6). Othmer Library Catalog. Science History Institute.
Retrieved 26 March 2016.
5. Morrison, John F. (April 5, 2011). "Chemical heir John C. Haas, who gave away millions to
charities, dies at 92" (https://web.archive.org/web/20110412051802/http://articles.philly.com/
2011-04-05/news/29384784_1_rohm-haas-haas-family-wyncote-foundation). The
Philadelphia Inquirer. Archived from the original (http://articles.philly.com/2011-04-05/news/2
9384784_1_rohm-haas-haas-family-wyncote-foundation) on April 12, 2011.
6. Tritton, Thomas R. (2012). "John C. Haas" (https://web.archive.org/web/20150430221917/ht
tp://www.amphilsoc.org/sites/default/files/proceedings/1560411.pdf) (PDF). Proceedings of
the American Philosophical Society. 156 (4): 458–462. Archived from the original (http://ww
w.amphilsoc.org/sites/default/files/proceedings/1560411.pdf) (PDF) on 30 April 2015.
Retrieved 24 November 2014.
7. "Foundation Remembers Chara Haas" (https://web.archive.org/web/20140728172141/http://
williampennfoundation.org/FoundationRemembersCharaHaas.aspx). The William Penn
Foundation. Archived from the original (http://www.williampennfoundation.org/FoundationRe
membersCharaHaas.aspx) on 2014-07-28. Retrieved 2014-11-24.
8. Miller, Paul F. (2012). "John C. Haas" (https://web.archive.org/web/20150430221917/http://w
ww.amphilsoc.org/sites/default/files/proceedings/1560411.pdf) (PDF). Proceedings of the
American Philosophical Society. 156 (4): 458–462. Archived from the original (http://www.a
mphilsoc.org/sites/default/files/proceedings/1560411.pdf) (PDF) on 30 April 2015. Retrieved
24 November 2014.
9. "John C. Haas Notice Condolences" (http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/philly/obituary.aspx?
pid=149975261). Philly.com. Retrieved 24 November 2014.
10. Key, Peter (Apr 4, 2011). "Philanthropist, former Rohm chairman John C. Haas dies" (http://
www.bizjournals.com/philadelphia/news/2011/04/04/philanthropist-former-rohm-chairman.ht
ml?page=all). Philadelphia Business Journal. Retrieved 24 November 2014.
11. "Philadelphia Orchestra Award Presented to Wyncote Foundation and Members of Haas
Family; David Haas, Frederick R. Haas, and Leonard C. Haas" (https://www.philorch.org/pre
ss-room/news/philadelphia-orchestra-award-presented-wyncote-foundation-and-members-h
aas-family#/). Philadelphia Orchestra. June 23, 2014. Retrieved 9 December 2014.
12. "Constructing History: The John C. Haas Archive of Science and Business at CHF" (https://
web.archive.org/web/20160303205056/http://www.chemheritage.org/discover/media/newsle
tter/2013-12-archives-building-article.aspx). Transmutations (14). Chemical Heritage
Foundation: 1. 2013. Archived from the original (http://www.chemheritage.org/discover/medi
a/newsletter/2013-12-archives-building-article.aspx) on March 3, 2016. Retrieved
24 November 2014.
13. Gussman, Neil. "The Power of John C. Haas's Good Name" (https://web.archive.org/web/20
160712182325/http://www.chemheritage.org/about/history/chf-founders/2011-05-16-john-c-h
aas.aspx). Chemical Heritage Foundation. Archived from the original (http://www.chemherita
ge.org/about/history/chf-founders/2011-05-16-john-c-haas.aspx) on July 12, 2016.
14. Shea, Patrick (November 5, 2013). "CHF Opens John C. Haas Archive of Science and
Business" (https://web.archive.org/web/20151102190736/http://beta.dvarchivists.org/2013/1
1/05/chf-opens-john-c-haas-archive-of-science-and-business/). Delaware Valley Archivists
Group. Archived from the original (http://beta.dvarchivists.org/2013/11/05/chf-opens-john-c-h
aas-archive-of-science-and-business/) on 2 November 2015. Retrieved 24 November 2014.
15. "Chemical Heritage Foundation John C. Haas Archive" (https://web.archive.org/web/201612
01084555/http://www.preservationalliance.com/what-we-do/preservation-achievement-awar
ds/chemical-heritage-foundation-john-c-haas-archive/). Preservation Alliance for Greater
Philadelphia. Archived from the original (http://www.preservationalliance.com/what-we-do/pr
eservation-achievement-awards/chemical-heritage-foundation-john-c-haas-archive/) on 1
December 2016. Retrieved 24 November 2014.
16. "Plastics Maker F. Otto Haas Dies" (https://archive.today/20141209150255/http://articles.phil
ly.com/1994-01-04/news/25823199_1_rohm-and-haas-acrylic-activities). Philly.com. January
4, 1994. Archived from the original (http://articles.philly.com/1994-01-04/news/25823199_1_r
ohm-and-haas-acrylic-activities) on December 9, 2014. Retrieved 9 December 2014.
17. "APS Member History" (https://search.amphilsoc.org/memhist/search?creator=John+C.+Ha
as&title=&subject=&subdiv=&mem=&year=&year-max=&dead=&keyword=&smode=advanc
ed). search.amphilsoc.org. Retrieved 2022-03-28.
18. Swink, Margaret (April 5, 2011). "We are diminished. John C. Haas, 1919 - 2011" (http://ww
w.ploughshares.org/blog/2011-04-06/we-are-diminished-john-c-haas-1919). Ploughshares
Blog. Retrieved 24 November 2014.
19. Matza, Michael (May 4, 2016). "Haas estate in Villanova to be preserved as public garden"
(http://www.philly.com/philly/news/20160504_Haas_estate_in_Villanova_to_be_preserved_a
s_public_garden.html). The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved 8 May 2016.
20. "John C. Haas of Rohm and Haas chemical firm dies" (http://seattletimes.com/html/nationwo
rld/2014667338_apushaasobit.html). Seattle Times. April 2, 2011. Retrieved 24 November
2014.
21. "John C. Haas, May 22, 1918 - April 2, 2011" (http://stoneleighfoundation.org/content/johnch
aas). Stoneleigh Fellowships for Social Change. Stoneleigh Foundation. 2013. Retrieved
24 November 2014.
22. "Obituary: John C. Haas, 92, Leading Philadelphia Philanthropist" (http://philanthropy.com/bl
ogs/philanthropytoday/obituary-john-c-haas-92-leading-philadelphia-philanthropist/33902).
The Chronicle of Philanthropy. April 6, 2011. Retrieved 24 November 2014.

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