Harry Spiegelberg

Harry Spiegelberg’s journey from a farm in New London to
a renowned figure in the paper industry is a testament to his
dedication and expertise. Excelling academically from a young age, he was valedictorian of his high school class
and participated in forensics. He pursued a degree in
Chemical Engineering at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, graduating in 1959. During his time at UW-Madison, Harry joined ROTC and continued his service in the reserves
eventually reaching the rank of Captain.

Upon graduation, Harry joined Kimberly-Clark where his
career flourished. He continued his education, earning a master’s degree in chemistry from Lawrence University, followed by a Ph.D. in Physics from the Institute of Paper Chemistry. In 1980, he further expanded his expertise with an MBA from the University of Chicago.

At Kimberly-Clark, Harry’s career trajectory was impressive. Starting as an Engineer, he swiftly advanced through various roles, including Research Chemist, Superintendent of New Product Concepts, Director of R&D, Director of Feminine Care R&D, Director of Household Products R&D, Director of Tissue Products R&D, Vice President of Consumer Tissue Research and finally, Vice President of Technology and Patent Strategy.

Harry’s passion for innovation and problem-solving was evident throughout his career. His Ph.D. thesis, “The Effect of Hemicelluloses on the Properties of Individual Pulp Fibers,” underscored his deep understanding of the paper industry. He was a prolific inventor, credited with numerous U.S. and international patents. Notably, he co-invented a method to enhance the internal bulk, absorbency, softness, and strength of tissue products. Another significant invention was an antiviral tissue designed to inactivate viruses causing the common cold. Although developed in the mid-1980s, regulatory challenges delayed its commercialization until the 1990s.

Beyond his technical contributions, Harry co-founded the Paper Industry International Hall of Fame. Kimberly-Clark’s Atlas paper mill became home to the Hall of Fame and the Paper Discovery Center, now known as Atlas Science Center. Harry served in various leadership roles for the Hall of Fame, including Vice-Chairman, Chairman and CEO.

Harry’s community involvement extended beyond his professional achievements. He was an active member of his church and Rotary, served on the Institutional Review Board of Theda Clark Health System and was a steadfast supporter of the University of Wisconsin-Madison. His multifaceted contributions to both the industry and his community highlight a legacy of innovation, leadership
and service.

Harold Miller

Harold Miller’s distinguished career in the paper industry began shortly after he graduated from the University of Wisconsin in 1951 as a process engineer. In 1952, he joined Marathon Corp. in Menasha as a Junior Engineer and later moved to American Can Corporation.

In 1966, at the age of 38, Harold and four partners founded Marathon Engineers/Architects/Planners, Inc., a consulting and design firm dedicated to the pulp and paper industry. The firm quickly grew, establishing offices in Menasha, Milwaukee, Little Rock, AR and Augusta, GA. As one of the original founders and Vice Presidents, Harold earned a reputation as the instrumentation guru of the company.

By 1981, Harold had ascended to the roles of Chief Executive Officer and Chairman and in 1986 he added the title of President. Under his leadership, Marathon Engineers thrived and in 1989 the firm was recognized as one of the top 50 Engineering/Architectural firms in the United States and the largest in Wisconsin specializing in the pulp and paper industry.

Harold led the sale of the company to Jaakko Poyry in 1990 and it continues today as Poyry Appleton. Throughout his tenure, he made significant contributions to customer paper manufacturing needs, enhancing efficiencies, increasing production and improving quality, thereby ensuring that their clients maintained a competitive edge. Marathon’s impact was extensive, participating in over 5,500 projects globally and earning numerous awards.

Beyond his professional achievements, Harold was an influential figure in the Fox Cities community. He served on the Board of Directors for several local firms, including MEI Services and Electromeasure Co., which evolved into Plexus. His community involvement was extensive, serving as the Menasha Police Commissioner for ten years and supporting various local organizations through volunteer leadership and substantial anonymous donations.

After retiring, Harold continued to contribute significantly to his community. He was particularly proud of his roles with two Fox Cities institutions: the Atlas Science Center, formerly the Paper Discovery Center in Appleton, where he served as Director and the Heckrodt Wetland Preserve in Menasha, where he was Chairman. Harold’s legacy is marked by his professional accomplishments and his dedicated community service.

Christian Schiel

Christian Schiel was born on May 11, 1932 in Busteni, Romania. He came from a family of papermakers. His grandfather manufactured the first paper produced in Romania in 1882 (Fabrica de Hartie Busteni, C. & S. Schiel). His father was the technical director of the company. He spent the first 12 years of his life in Busteni, surrounded by the Carpathian Mountains, where he developed a passion for mountaineering. In 1944, his family left Romania as refugees from the advancing Russian army. During the chaotic
post-war years in Germany, young Christian Schiel built his own career serving a three-year apprenticeship as a millwright, and ultimately earning a degree in mechanical engineering at the Oskar von Miller Polytechnikum in Munich in 1954.

He joined J.M. Voith G.m.b.H. in Heidenheim as a Design and Planning Engineer. Within two and a half years, he was entrusted with the full development of a fiber board mill for a South American customer. To complete his training with some international experience, he spent 5 years in North America: at The Powell River Company (BC/Canada) and Mead Corporation in Chillicothe, Ohio, where he had the good fortune to work with Peter Wrist (Hall of Fame 1998) on the development of the Fabric Press.

In 1962 he returned to Heidenheim, where he was employed for most of his career, until his retirement in 1997, as the Chief Development Engineer with a mandate for continual innovation to ensure the company’s leadership in papermaking technology. Christian Schiel and his team were exceptionally creative and productive, developing technologies that led to dramatic increases in paper machine productivity and improvements in paper quality. Their developments include a series of forming devices based on the roll-forming concepts for the manufacture of a broad range of paper grades, the technology to manufacture fabric sleeves creating a vastly simplified method of introducing fabrics into press nips, and most notably the development of the fully-enclosed flexible-nip presses, as well as the technologies for the manufacture of their flexible roll sleeves that have fundamentally changed the design of all paper machine press sections to this day. His work is documented in more than 40 publications, 149 US patents and a commensurate number of patents in other jurisdictions and is still applied in most modern paper machines around the world.

In 1994, Christian Schiel was awarded The Walter Brecht Medal by ZELLCHEMING for outstanding achievements in the pulp and paper industry.

In 1997 Christian Schiel retired in Murnau, Germany where he and his wife Regine, often accompanied by their children and grandchildren, enjoyed long walks and outings on skis in the nearby Bavarian Alps. His life-long passion for mountaineering was established during his childhood in Busteni. One noteworthy accomplishment that was not directly related to papermaking that Christian was particularly proud of was the successful climb on August 15, 1958, to the summit of Mount Waddington, considered the most challenging climb in the Canadian Coast Mountains.

Christian Schiel died in Murnau on September 30, 2021.