Editing Sam Eyde

{{Short description|Norwegian engineer and businessman}}
{{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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| notable_students = 
| known_for = [[Birkeland–Eyde process]]
| awards = 
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| footnotes = <!-- for any footnotes needed to clarify entries above -->
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}}
'''Samuel Eyde''' (29 October 1866 – 21 June 1940) was a [[Norway|Norwegian]] [[engineer]] and [[industrialist]]. He was the founder of both [[Norsk Hydro]] and [[Elkem]].<ref>{{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}}</ref>

==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).<ref name=nbl>{{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}}</ref> He was a first cousin of [[Alf Scott-Hansen Sr.|Alf Scott-Hansen]] on the maternal side.<ref>{{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}}</ref>

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).<ref name=nbl/>

==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 [[Oslo|Kristiania]] (now Oslo) and [[Stockholm]]. By the turn of the century the firm was one of the largest in [[Scandinavia]], with some 30 engineers.<ref name=rjukanbanen>{{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}}</ref>

[[File:Rjukan Sam Eide monument (9458992992).jpg|thumb|250 px|Statue of Sam Eyde at Rjukan by Gunnar Utsond unveiled in 1920]]

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]].<ref>{{cite web|url=  https://snl.no/Sam_Eyde |title= Sam Eyde|publisher = Store norske leksikon|accessdate= August 1, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{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= }}</ref> The plant is now part of the Norwegian company Fiven ASA and one of the oldest silicon carbide producing plants worldwide.<ref>{{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}}</ref>

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.<ref>{{cite web
|url= https://www.plasma-universe.com/Kristian_Birkeland|title=  Kristian Birkeland|publisher =  The Plasma Universe theory
|accessdate= August 1, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{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= }}</ref>

In 1905 he founded [[Norsk Hydro|Norsk Hydro-Elektrisk Kvælstofaktieselskab]] (now [[Norsk Hydro]]). Eyde remained director-general of both companies.<ref name=rjukanbanen /> He was director-general of Norsk Hydro until 1917.<ref>Sam Eyde: Mitt Liv og Mitt Livsverk (Gyldendal 1939) pp 439-448</ref> 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.<ref>{{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 }}</ref>

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

==Gallery==
<gallery>
File:Birkeland-Eyde lysbue.JPG|Birkeland–Eyde arc furnace displayed at Kjelsås 
File:Birkeland–Eyde furnace 1905.jpg|Birkeland–Eyde furnace exhibited in Notodden 
File:Pelton turbine and electric arc furnace.jpg|Pelton turbine runner and nozzle of a Birkeland–Eyde electric arc furnace exhibited in Rjukan 
File:Rjukan electric arc furnace.jpg|Birkeland–Eyde  electric arc furnace  exhibited in a park in Rjukan 
 
</gallery>

==See also==
* [[Birkeland–Eyde process]]

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==Other sources==
* Grimnes, Ole Kristian (2001) ''Sam Eyde: den grenseløse gründer'' (Oslo: Aschehoug) {{ISBN|82-03-22644-2}}

==External links==
*[http://www.hydro.com/en/about-hydro/Our-history/ Norsk Hydro ASA website]
*[https://www.elkem.com/about-elkem/our-history/ Elkem AS website]
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{{succession box | before=''position created'' | title=[[Norsk Hydro|Director-general of Norsk Hydro]] |years=1905–1917 |after=[[Harald Bjerke]]}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Eyde, Sam}}
[[Category:1866 births]]
[[Category:1940 deaths]]
[[Category:People from Arendal]]
[[Category:People from Rjukan]]
[[Category:Norwegian expatriates in Germany]]
[[Category:Norwegian company founders]]
[[Category:Norwegian industrialists]]
[[Category:Norsk Hydro people]]
[[Category:Norwegian engineers]]
[[Category:Norwegian diplomats]]
[[Category:Norwegian expatriates in the United States]]
[[Category:Norwegian Army personnel]]
[[Category:Commanders of the Order of the Dannebrog]]
[[Category:Commanders of the Order of the Sword]]
[[Category:BASF people]]