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Sendzimir, Michael
(1924 - August 31, 2008)
engineer, businessman
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Michael Sendzimir, 83, died Sunday (August 31, 2008), at Waterbury Hospital. Dr. Sendzimir leaves behind his loving wife of 60 years; Jane Harkness Sendzimir of Toronto, Canada, his four children, Arri Sendzimir of Waterbury, Tad Sendzimir of Morris, Lissa Sendzimir Staples of Tucson, AZ, and Alexander Sendzimir of Woodbury; six grandchildren; and one great grandchild Dr. Sendzimir was born in Shanghai, China, in 1924. He received his early schooling in Poland and Switzerland. He graduated in 1943 from the Manlius School, (New York) He served three years in the U.S. Army during World War II, rising to the rank of Second Lieutenant. In 1951, he graduated from Columbia School of Engineering in New York with a BS degree in Industrial Engineering. In 1986, he received his Honorary PhD in Science, and in 1993 in Law. Michael Sendzimir started working with his father, Dr. Tadeusz Sendzimir, in 1948 and was President of T. Sendzimir, Inc. for over four decades. Upon the death of his father in September 1989, he assumed the additional duties of Chairman and CEO. He was the foremost authority in the world on multi-roll rolling mills for flat products, and was one of the principals in the conception, development, adaptation, and commercialization of the Sendzimir cold strip mill.
In June 1992, President Lech Walesa of Poland bestowed on Michael Sendzimir the Gold Order of Merit of the Polish Republic. Dr. Sendzimir has volunteered his time on the boards of the Salvation Army, the Waterbury Hospital, the Waterbury Symphony Orchestra, the Polish Institute of Arts & Sciences in New York, and the Biotechnology Foundation in Philadelphia. For many years he served as a benefactor, trustee, Chairman of the Board, and Honorary Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Kosciuszko Foundation. The Waterbury Foundation has benefited from Sendzimir funds from which, in addition to local awards, money is donated to bring young Polish students to visit the United States. The Michael and Jane Sendzimir fund is reserved for women artists and musicians.
A funeral Mass will be held Saturday, September 6, at 11 a.m. at the Church of the Nativity, 48 East St., Bethlehem, CT. Calling hours will be held Friday from 4-7 p.m. at the Woodbury Funeral Home of Munson Lovetere, 2 School St. In lieu of flowers, the public is asked to contribute to the Sendzimir fund at Waterbury Hospital. To send an online condolence, please visit www.munsonloveterefuneralhome.com.
Michael G. Sendzimir
Home:
53 East Hill Rd.
Woodbury, CT 06798
Tel. (203) 263-3540
Office:
269 Brookside Rd.
Waterbury, CT 06720-1350
Tel. (203) 756-4617
Fax: (203) 756-4610
Chairman, President, CEO -- T. Sendzimir, Inc.
Highest Degree: BS, Columbia School of Engineering;
Honorary Ph.D. in Science and Law
Major Discipline: Business, Engineering
Michael G. Sendzimir, was born in Shanghai, China, in 1924. He received his early schooling in Poland and continued his education at La Chataigneraire in Switzerland. He is a (1943) graduate of the Man1ius School, near Syracuse, New York, after which he served three years in the Army of the United States rising to the rank of Second Lieutenant. In 1951, he graduated from Columbia School of Engineering in New York with a BS degree in Industrial Engineering. In 1986, he received his Honorary PhD in Science and in 1993 in Law. Michael Sendzimir started working with his father, Dr. Tadeusz Sendzimir, in 1948 and has been President of T. Sendzimir, Inc. for over four decades. Upon the demise of his father in September 1989, he assumed the additional duties of Chairman and C.E.O. He has traveled more than 8 million miles over 6 continents to promote "SENDZIMIR " ideas. He has presented technical papers in Australia, Europe, South America, India, South Africa, Canada, and the U.S.A. at the Metals Institute, AISE, ISS, and American Bar Mill Association. The topics have covered ZR and Z-high cold mills, planetary hot mills and mini-mill plants for strip, plate and structurals. Some of Michael Sendzimir's accomplishments include the following: He is the foremost authority in the world on multi-roll rolling mills for flat products, including the conception, development, adaptation and commercialization of the Sendzimir cold strip mill used almost exclusively for stainless steel and for special applications in rolling silicon steel; low, medium and high carbon steels; brass, copper, aluminum, titanium, stellite and other difficult alloys mainly as a reversing mill. As early as the 1960's, he proposed to use "twin" mills in reversing mode (in Japan) and also worked with Nisshin Steel to specify, engineer, and install the first ZR type 6-stand Tandem mill in the Shunan works which regularly produced 18,000 tons of cold rolled stainless per month. He conceived the principle of the Z-high mill and its application in continuous lines as either a new or a retrofit mill. He was involved in development and commercialization of the Sendzimir planetary hot strip mills and liasoned with the Krupp organization on the Platzer planetary mills, as well as on Daido development of the semi-planetary concept. He worked with his father on development of variants of the planetary mill and their installation in tandem with the continuous casting of slabs and also production of stainless, titanium and high carbon "clad steel". He was involved with the "pendulum" mill and development of the one-half rocker mill. He completed the only double rocker mill for rolling copper and non-ferrous alloys. In addition to new ideas and concepts, he obtained several patents on "Sendzimir" cold mills. He also invented and patented the Turret Mill. The Sendzimir Skin Pass mill with small work rolls (4" diameter) adopted for ultra-fast change was mainly done during his stays in France. The Sendzimir Scale Breaker (also 4" diameter) was conceived and tried successfully in a 1400 fpm low carbide pickling line (surfuric acid type) for hot strip with reductions increased from 2% to 6%. He delivered a mill to roll airfoil down to 0.007" for the blades in the final three stages of the compressor for airplane jet engines. He worked on the concept of the small work roll "Vibratory" mill for extra-high reduction. He is presently involved in strip casting and downstream rolling, as well as with "multi-thickness" product from a rolling mill.
Soon after the demise of Dr. T. Sendzimir, Poland elected a solidarity government, with Lech Walesa as its president. On May 4, 1990, Michael Sendzimir cut the ribbon renaming Huta im. Lenina, the biggest steelworks in Poland to Huta im. T. Sendzimir (HTS). With his late father as the "Patron", the work of the "Patron" now fell on his shoulders. He cooperates closely with management on contact with other steel companies in Europe, the USA, and Japan. He has been involved in financial contacts and technical meetings. He visits HTS at least yearly and participates in all of their official ceremonies. He has been involved with Huta' s hospital and has been asked to address the large congregation in the Nowa Huta Church. During the performance of his duties, Michael Sendzimir has met with President Lech Walesa of the Republic of Poland several times and also with the current President, Alexander Kwasniewski. He was received at a private meeting by the President of Ireland, Patrick Hillary, and flew with the President of Finland, Kekkonen, from Paris to Helsinki after the latter's meeting with President Charles DeGaulle. During the official opening of the Acerinox plant in Algeciras, Spain, he met with King Juan Carlos and, during the 25th anniversary celebration he met his son, the Prince of Asturias. In December 1994, he attended a reception at the Akasaka Palace in Tokyo and met with Japanese Emperor Akihito and the Empress Michiko. He has also met and dealt with the Polish premiers Tadeusz Mazowiecki and Anna Suchocka, as well as the Polish Chief of General Staff, General Tadeusz Wilecki. On the American side, he has met with Federal Reserve Chairman Arthur Bums, and knew as personal friends Bill Miller and Malcolm Baldrige. He has met Elizabeth Dole, David Grengen, Donald Reagan, Edward Meese, Charles Baker, Cyrus Vance, Henry Kissinger, Senator Lugar and various members of Congress. He has also met with Admiral Kelso, Vice Admiral Welling and General Leo Dulacki.
Mr. Sendzimir volunteers his time to serve on the Boards of the Salvation Army, Waterbury Hospital, Waterbury Symphony Orchestra, Polish Institute of Arts & Sciences in New York, Biotechnology Foundation in Philadelphia and the Center for the Study of the Presidency. For many years, he has served as a benefactor, trustee, Chairman of the Board and currently honorary Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Kosciuszko Foundation. Under his ten-year leadership, the 75-year old Kosciuszko Foundation continued educational and cultural exchanges between Poland and the United States and contributed to increasing American understanding of Polish culture and history, as well as providing student scholarships and funds for Polish scholars to study and teach in the USA and for Americans of Polish background to study in Poland. The Waterbury Foundation has also benefited from Sendzimir funds from which, in addition to local awards, money is donated to bring young Polish students to visit the U.S.A. The Michael and Jane Sendzimir fund is reserved for women artists and musicians. In June 1992 President Lech Walesa of Poland bestowed on Michael Sendzimir the Gold Order, of Merit of the Polish Republic. The decoration was performed by the Consul General of Poland and the Honorable Jerzy Surdykowski at a special gathering of guests at the Polish Consulate in New York. In 1999, the Polish Organization of Inventors (SPWIR) elected Michael Sendzimir Chairman of its Executive Committee. At a meeting in Warsaw and in Czestochowa, over 60 gold medals were awarded to the most prominent inventors in Poland; another 20 were awarded in 2000. In 1991, he received the Philanthropy Award from The National Society of Fund Raising Executives. Additionally, he is involved in fund raising for the Waterbury Symphony Orchestra, Symphony Day Founders Committee, Waterbury Hospital, Salvation Army, Polish Assistance, etc.
He also serves as a Director on the Boards of: T. Sendzimir, Inc; Sendzimir France, S.A.R.L; Sendzimir Japan, Ltd; Sendzimir Metallurgique S.A.
He is a past Director of: Precision Methods and Machines, Inc. (later a Division of Textron, where he served as a Vice-President); Thinsheet Metals, Inc. (a Nisshin Steel subsidiary); Mattatuck Historical Society; Bank of Boston Connecticut; Eastern Companies; Inland Steel Company of Iridia, Ltd. He was a longtime member of the AISI. He is a member of the AISE and is listed in Who's Who of Technology and the Commerce International Who's Who. Mrs. Michael Sendzimir (nee Jane Harkness), is a well known concert singer and serves on the boards ofT. Sendzimir, Inc. and the Waterbury Symphony (Chairman-Music Committee). Mr. & Mrs. Sendzimir have four children and six grandchildren. Their oldest daughter, Arri, has joined the Sendzimir organization and serves as Executive Vice-President. She has been elected Vice-Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Kosciuszko Foundation and continues the Sendzimir tradition of supporting this important Polish/American organization.
Michael George Sendzimir
Executive, philanthropist
Born Nov. 21, 1924, Shanghai (China); came to U.S., 1939; son of Tadeusz and Barbara (Alferieff); married Jane (Harkness); children: Arri, Tad, Lissa, Alex.
Education: Bachelor of Science (B.S.) (in industrial engineering), Columbia University School of Engineering, New York City, 1951; Doctor honoris causa (Dr.h.c.) (in science), Alliance College, Cambridge Springs (PA), 1986, (in law), Teikyo Post University, Waterbury (CT), 1993.
Career: trainee, ARMCO Steel Corporation, Middletown (OH), 1948-49; trainee, vice president, PM&M, 1950-74, foreign sales manager, Rolling Mill Division, Waterbury Farrel, 1956-58, Cheshire (CT); foreign sales manager, Armzen, Waterbury (CT), 1951-56; chairman, president, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), T. Sendzimir, Inc., 1956 -, Waterbury.
Author: over 20 U.S. patents; numerous articles in professional journals; guest lecturer to professional groups and academia worldwide.
Member of: board directors chairman, Kosciuszko Foundation; trustee, Polish Institute of Arts and Sciences of America (P.I.A.S.A.); trustee, search committee chairman, Center for the Study of the Press; supporting member, Polish Assistance - Polska Bratnia Pomoc; trustee, Salvation Army; board member, Waterbury Hospital; supporter, fund raiser, Waterbury Symphony; associate, American Iron & Steel Institute; Association of Iron & Steel Engineers.
Honors: Outstanding Philanthropist, National Society of Fund Raising Executives, 1991; Gold Bagde of the Order of Merit, L. Walesa, President of Poland.
Served with: U.S. Army, World War II, 2nd lieutenant, 1943-46.
Affiliation: Republican. Roman Catholic.
Languages: English, Polish, French, Russian, Italian.
Hobbies: skiing, swimming, mountain hiking.
Home: 53 East Hill Road, Woodbury, CT 06798.
From: "Who's Who in Polish America" 1st Edition 1996-1997, Boleslaw Wierzbianski editor; Bicentennial Publishing Corporation, New York, NY, 1996.