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His Life

The Early Years Adapted from an interview by Richard

May 8, 2016

Don was born in Long Beach, California, at the midwife's home, on Nov. 9, 1928. His family lived in El Monte on Ximino St.  Don’s family also lived at Columbia Courts on Lexington St. where the houses were in a “U” shape with a courtyard in the center. When he was 5 or 6 years old his parents had a house built on Grenada St. in El Monte.

His father, Louis Maurice Baudrand was born in San Diego in 1900 at the house on 8th Street. His mother, Mary Elizabeth Littlefield Baudrand was born in Rio, Illinois in 1904.  Her family came by train to California when she was 8. They had a small market and then moved to Koffman Street.

Louis started work for Dupont when he was 19 years old, and retired when he was 65.  He was a technical service represtative.  He sold hydrogen cyanide gas to fumigate citrus groves and supervised the process.  They’d go out at night and tent the trees, and pump gas in.  They had to do it at night because of the cooler temperature was important to the process.  Mary was a secretary at Dupont and that is where they met.  They were married in 1926.

Don had two sisters, Lois and LouAnn.  Lois died at 15 months of a heart defect – an enlarged heart.  LouAnn was born 6 years after Don. Mary had seven siblings, and they all had lots of kids.  Don had many cousins. Aunt Blanche and Uncle Bill were special people to him.  LouAnn and he would spend two weeks with them every summer. 

Don rebelled against violin lessons.  His folks said he could quit violin lessons if he took piano lessons.  He started at age seven.  His second teacher would slap his hands with a ruler if he made a mistake. Don’s parents encouraged him to keep playing. My third teacher was great. She taught him theory and composition, and let him play the pieces he liked, if he also played the songs she chose. 

Don had tuberculosis when he was in 6th grade.  His home teacher was Mrs. Halsopple. He spent a whole year in bed.

Don’s first job was in middle school.  He worked two summers in a pottery plant in El Monte. He mowed lawns for the owner, and he liked Don’s work. Don was hired at the plant in the packing department, putting straw in boxes and loading trucks. The Johnson boys worked there too. They got paid – money! Don liked it and the owners were nice.

At home, discipline was strict, but loving. We had to keep our rooms clean and do the dishes.  We were on a schedule. One night wash and one night dry.  Don mowed some lawns too.  Don’s parents encouraged dating. He had to tell them when he would be home, but didn’t remember rules about a curfew.  There were limits, and Don had to borrow his dad’s car.  We went on dates with friends to school events that were supervised.

Don and Ginny attended Methodist Youth Fellowship (MYF).  We’d all go together to football games and parties afterward.  They were fabulous with props and costumes, plays, and movies. There were themes, like a western dinner with square dancing.  We’d go to high school events and then to somebody’s house for dessert.

Don’s friends were Don and Ken Johnson.  We did everything together, and we are still friends today.  I had friends in science, music, and athletics.  My closest friends were members of MYF.  The Johnson family took me to church with them. Don’s parents didn’t go to church.

Don was a sophomore when he met Ginny.  Don played the piano for dances. But, Don took Irene Halgasen to the Junior-Senior Prom. Ginny was a sophomore, and couldn’t attend.  The MYF director, right in front of Irene, said, “Don, you don’t have a date for the prom. Why don’t you take Irene?”  Don said okay, because I felt obligated, what else could he do? He was trapped!

Bud Larsh and Don were into chemistry.  Bud had a high IQ and Don had a Gilbert Chemistry Set.  They set up a lab on the porch and were always doing experiments.  They liked to play baseball too.

In high school, Don was in the Science Club, Chemistry Club, on the track team, and the Lion’s Club. That was a school-sanctioned club, like a fraternity. They had club sweaters, and Don wrote a song called the Lion’s Club Boogie Woogie.

Don made up his mind to go into chemistry or medicine.  He set his own goals.  When he went to college, it was right after the Korean War. Don was the youngest in the freshman class.  All the others were 2-4 years older. All the medical schools were full. There were lots of older students just back from the war, and they were serious students. Don had tough competition.

Don attended Whittier College on a scholarship.  Don was recruited right off the field in high school by Chief Wallace Newman.  He was an Indian and football player. Don couldn’t afford tuition. He had to keep his grades up. The scholarship paid 90% and Don’s parents paid the rest. The recruiter also introduced Don to Dr. Ray Newsome, the chairman of the Chemistry Department.

Don’s parents didn’t attend his track meets, but Ginny’s dad, having been a football coach, attended them all with a stopwatch.  Louis was working most of the time. There wasn’t time for recreation.  Track meets, MYF, and the beach – that’s it.  Don’s parent encouraged education and paid for his books. It was important.  Don ran around with and competed with the “brains,” and Don’s track friends encouraged him. 

Don and Ginny were married in 1949, on Easter vacation in Arcadia. Don was 20 and Ginny was 19. Grandma Thompson thought we were too young. “We new each other well. We had gone together for seven years.” said Don.

Don and Ginny first lived in a garage apartment in Rosemead. The living room was wall-to-wall piano, and the bedroom was wall-to-wall bed. They had a dog named Snoopy, a Springer Spaniel. Ginny worked at the phone company, while Don was still in school.  Don worked at a gas station, and in the summers, he worked at the lab at Dupont. One summer Don worked for Hunt’s foods canning peaches. He earned a BA in Chemistry with a minor in Math. Next, Don and Ginny moved to Berkeley to attend graduate school.

Don dropped out of school when Ginny was pregnant with Cherie.  Don went to work at Camidor, and set up a lab. He set paint lines.  Don also worked at Cutter Laboratories, where he found ways to make the processes work better, and save the company money. They thanked him, but didn’t give him a raise. Don and Ginny decided to head south to Los Angeles again.

 D Eldred had a laboratory, doing what Don wanted to do.  He asked Don to come and work with him and be a partner in the business.  It was for less money, but Don took the offer. They did consulting work for Rep-Cal.  They were hired to straighten out a problem redesigning their plating machine.  For years - It took a long, long time!  D Eldred had a heart attack and couldn’t work anymore.  Don did all the work for Cal-Rep and the business.  When D died, Don bought the company from D's wife.  Don worked there from 1954 -1966.  He followed his dream, and he did it! Electro-Chemical Laboratories. Don was able to have his own business.

 When Don was 23, he played piano in a combo called the Key Notes.  Don also played the organ at church.  Three more children followed;  Jim, Richard, and Connie Lou.  The family attended Temple City Methodist Church.  Don and Ginny bought a house on Persimmon St.  In 1960, the family moved to the Barela St. house, still in Temple City. 

Plateworld.com List of Technical Papers

April 16, 2016

Don’s Papers on Plateworld.com Technical Library

 Advancements in Nickel Plating
  Don Baudrand

 Black Smut
  Don Baudrand

 Conditions and ReliabilityDon Baudrand

 History of ElectroplatingDon Baudrand

 Nickel reduce goldDon Baudrand

 Soldering Electroless nickelDon Baudrand

 Gold PlatingDon Baudrand

 Ceramic Microelectric CircuitsDon Baudrand

 Hot Alkaline Cleaners
  Don Baudrand

 Questions From Troubleshoot Webinar
  Don Baudrand

 Sulfamate Nickel Plating
  Don Baudrand

 Deposit Characteristics of Nickel
  Don Baudrand

 Plating onto Magnesium AlloysDon Baudrand

 Advancements in electroless
  Don Baudrand

 Role of electroless nickel platingDon Baudrand

Electroless Nickel and Cobalt for Memory Discs

Hank Diesbergen & Don Baudrand

 Mechanical Zinc Plating Don Baudrand

 Treatment and Disposal of Spent Electroless Nickel Plating Solutions

Don Baudrand & David Crotty

Electroless Nickel Plating On Zinc Die Castings  Don Baudrand & R. Stewart

 Corrosion and Corrosion Control for Metallized MCM's and Hybrid Circuits

Alloy  in the 90's  Don Baudrand

 Don's Theory of Hydrogen Embrittlement of Steel alloys   Don Baudrand

 Plating onto High Strength Steels and Leaded Alloys   Don Baudrand

 Troubleshooting Plating on Plastics    Don Baudrand and N.V. Mandich

 What are the changes in Electroplating?  Don Baudrand

 Mechanical Zinc Plating   Don Baudrand

 Electroless Nickel Design for PTFE Composite Plating   Don Baudrand

 Failure of Electroplated Deposits - Detection & Prevention  Don Baudrand

 Aircraft Applications for Electroless Nickel Plate   Don Baudrand

 Electroless Plating Processes

Developing Technologies for Electroless Nickel, Palladium and Gold

Electroless Nickel for Thin-Film Magnetic Memory Discs  Don Baudrand

 Electroless Gold   Don Baudrand

 Consulting Report--Hard Chrome Electroplating Durability  Don Baudrand

 Electroless Nickel Plating and Anodizing Process Recommendations

Nickel Plating of Metallized Aluminum Nitride Substrates for Electronic Applications   Don Baudrand

Properties and Characteristic of Plated Deposits  Don Baudrand

Do’s and Don’ts of Using Ultrasonic Cleaning   Don Baudrand

Removal of Calcium from Nickel Solutions  Don Baudrand

Chrome Replacement  Don Baudrand

Nickel Plating Failure-A Consulting Report  Don Baudrand

 Procedure for Silver Plating onto INVAR  Don Baudrand

 Removal of Calcium from Nickel Solutions  Don Baudrand

 mportant Practical Considerations in Sulfamate Nickel Plating  Don Baudrand and N.V. Mandich

 Fluoborate Plating Solutions-Advantages & Cautions  Don Baudrand

 Hydrogen Embrittlement  Don Baudrand

 Cleaning for Plating  Don Baudrand

 Preparation for Plating - Cleaning of Metals  Don Baudrand

 Get The Lead Out   Don Baudrand

 Plating for Electronic Applications  Don Baudrand

 Electroplating - An Old Art Turned Into Leading Edge Technology  Don Baudrand

 Plating Onto "Difficult-To-Plate" Metals   Don Baudrand

 Cost savings and conservation in plating processes  Don Baudrand

 Electroless Nickel and Hard Chrome & Hard Chrome vs. Electroless Nickel

 Nickel Plating  Don Baudrand

 Bright Nickel Plating (with Troubleshooting Chart)   Don Baudrand

 Physical Characteristics and Testing of Plated Deposits Part I  Don Baudrand

 Physical Characteristics and Testing of Plated Deposits Part II  Don Baudrand

 Physical Characteristics and Testing of Plated Deposits Part III  Don Baudrand

 PTFE/ EN and NI Plating  Don Baudrand

 Electroless Nickel Plating - Where is  it  Going  Don Baudrand

 Electroplating / Electroless Plating for Electronic Applications Baudrand

 Copper Plating & Trouble-Shooting  Don Baudrand

 Copper Plating II & Trouble-Shooting  Don Baudrand

Soldering, brazingdie and wire bondDon Baudrand

 

Papers on Don’s Consulting Page

 

ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY IN THE USE OF ELECTRO-LESS NICKEL FOR ELECTRONICS AND PRINTED CIRCUITS

 AUTOCATALYTIC ALLOY PLATING PROCESSES

 ELECTROLESS NICKEL AND COBALT FOR MEMORY DISCS

 PLATING OF ABS PLASTIC

 Conditions and Reliability

 History of Electroplating

 Nickel reduce gold download document: click here

 Soldering Electroless nickel

 Gold Plating

 Ceramic Microelectric Circuits

 Hot Alkaline Cleaners

 Questions From Troubleshoot Webinar

 Sulfamate Nickel Plating

 Deposit Characteristics of Nickel

 Plating onto Magnesium Alloys

 Advancements in Electroless-Nickel Plating

 Role of electroless nickel plating

Don's Accomplishments

April 16, 2016

SUMMARY OF ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Don Baudrand

Management

*Managed two successful corporations as president and CEO for one, and CFO for the other: Electrochemical Laboratories and ARP, Inc.

 *Managed Research and Development programs with total responsibility for innovation, screening, field testing, and market introduction for more than 100 products. Managed sales and marketing programs.

 *Developed the computer memory disc, hybrid microelectronics for plated components, and other markets. Bottom line responsibility.

 Strategic planning

*Developed strategy and programs which produced successful new products. Introduced, supported and carried out strategic planning programs for the corporation. Developed a format of matrix milestone and graphs to evaluate the research programs at all stages. Developed methods to evaluate the economic benefit of research programs. Identified and initiated entrepreneurial business ventures in specialty chemicals.

 Product Development

*Successfully introduced more than 100 new or modified products. Brought into the organization, from Electrochemical Laboratories, new products such as electroless-nickel plating technology patents, etc., that enabled the company to establish world leadership in terms of technology and sales dollars.

*Introduced electronics technology to the company via specialty chemical processes sold under the trade name “NIKLAD”x. Helped develop technical leadership and market in numerous other specialties such as “IRIDITE”x chromate conversion protective coatings, “ISOBRITE”x plating processes and BARRETT”x sulfamate nickel plating processes. (x Now trade marks of MacDermid, Inc., Waterbury CT)

 Marketing

*Succeeded in introducing to the marketplace an advanced method of producing “thin film memory discs” for “hard drives” for the computer industry. This process is used in production by major producers.

Products for making hybrid microelectronic circuits and packages, including multi-layer ceramic circuits (patented), nickel-boron processes, were successfully introduced.

*Led a successful marketing program for the company.

*Conducted technical and sales training for 17 sales districts in the U. S., and provided technology transfer and sales marketing programs for over seas licensees.

 

Cherie’s notes: 4/03/2013

 Dad said that he helped with the development of IBM microchips. He was called in as a consultant to solve 6 or 7 problems they were having. Each dept. head made a video presentation of their problem. Dad was able to solve the problems, and with his company lawyer negotiated a commission and contract for purchasing chemicals for the process from his company.

 He owned;

Electrochemical Labroratories - hard drive disk light metal memory system for the Minute Man Missile.

Invented processes for IBM

Allied Research Products (ARP Inc) - bought Electrochemical Labs and Kelite became

Allied-Kelite   Dad became Vice Pres. of Research and Development in Michigan

Allied-Kelite was bought by Richardson 

then bought by WitCo, in Chicago

April 16, 2016

Don passed away at home on April 14, 2016 of pancreatic cancer, at the age of 87. His family, Cherie, Jim, Richard, Connie, LouAnn, and Rachel, cared for him at home. We thank Todd, from Martha & Mary Home for the breaks he provided Cherie, and the Group Health Hospice team for their knowledge and support. 

Don, a musician and electrochemist, was born to Louis Maurice Baudrand and Mary Elizabeth Littlefield on November 9, 1928 in Long Beach, California.  He attended Whittier College on a track scholarship. He married Virginia Lee Thompson on April 9, 1949, and enjoyed 65 years of marriage. He spent five years lovingly caring for Ginny until she passed in 2014.

Don had a long career in Electro-chemical Plating, starting with his own laboratory in Los Angeles, and retiring as Vice President of Research and Development in Chicago.  He wrote several books and owned many patents. After his retirement, until age 85, he worked as a consultant in the Poulsbo home his son, James, built in 1994.

He sang in the church choir and was a member of the Bainbridge Chorale. Twenty of the chorale members encirrcled Don in his home and sang to him on Sunday, April 3.

Don is survived by his sister, LouAnn, four children, ten grandchildren, and 25 great-grandchildren. He had a good and generous heart!