PERRY L. MCCARTY (1931-2023)

BY RICHARD G. LUTHY AND BRUCE E. RITTMANN

PERRY LEE MCCARTY, a pioneer in the field of environmental biotechnology, died June 4, 2023, in Stanford, California. He was 91 years old.

Perry was passionate about environmental engineering and especially environmental biotechnology, a discipline that harnesses microorganisms for water purification, stabilization of organics, and recovery of renewable energy. He and his students developed valuable problem-solving strategies that have been widely adopted by academia and industry. Engineering principles laid out in Chemistry for Environmental Engineering and Science (with Clair Sawyer and Gene Parker; 5th ed., McGraw-Hill Education, 2002) and Environmental Biotechnology: Principles and Applications (with Bruce E. Rittman; 2nd ed., McGraw Hill, 2020) are now widely used in classrooms and by practitioners throughout the world.

Perry was born to James C. and Alice C. (née Marson) McCarty on Oct. 29, 1931, in Grosse Pointe, Michigan. He was a resourceful and inquisitive child, building crystal radios and other contraptions around his home. During the lean times of World War II, he worked at his father’s used-car dealership, repairing fenders and carving new treads in bald tires. He attended Wayne State University in Detroit and was a star track athlete. He intended to study physics, but his love of science and the outdoors convinced him that civil engineering was a better fit. In his senior year at Wayne State, he met Martha Collins during a hiking club event, and they married in 1953. He applied to and was accepted for graduate studies at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), but, before he could attend, he was drafted into the Army and served two years stateside in the counterintelligence corps. He enrolled in MIT using the GI Bill and received his M.S. in 1957 and Sc.D. in 1959 while teaching full time.

At MIT, he studied the emerging discipline of sanitary engineering, now environmental engineering, and joined the faculty. In 1962, Perry was recruited from MIT to Stanford University to help build the Environmental Engineering and Science Program, with a focus on environmental biotechnology and physicochemical processes. The Stanford program became one of the leading programs in the world. His work entered the field at a time when the treatment of water and wastewater was transitioning from the old empiricism of sanitary engineering to engineering science-based design, and he was eager to unravel complex microbial ecosystems. His research and teaching focused on microbial processes for waste stabilization and energy production, nitrogen removal, and water reuse. As director of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Western Region Hazardous Substance Research Center (1989-2001), he encouraged the development of new microbial processes that would enable biodegradation and detoxification of hazardous substances in groundwater. More recently, he returned to his lifelong commitment to the benefits of anaerobic treatment with a focus on mainstream applications that have now enabled net energy-positive domestic wastewater treatment. Perry wrote and coauthored more than 350 peer-reviewed papers and generously shared insights with colleagues and students alike.

Perry was one of the greatest environmental engineers of his generation. In 2011 the Association of Environmental Engineering and Science Professors established the Perry L. McCarty AEESP Founder’s Award, given annually in recognition of his significant contributions to environmental engineering education, research, and practice. He was elected to the National Academy of Engineering in 1977 and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1996. In 1992 he received the John and Alice Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement; in 1997 the Athalie Richardson Irvine Clarke Prize for Outstanding Achievements in Water Science and Technology; and in 2007 the Stockholm Water Prize, often referred to as the Nobel Prize for water. The citation for the Stockholm Water Prize referred to Perry’s pioneering work in developing the scientific approach for design and operation of water and wastewater systems. In 2004, the directorship of the Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment was named in his honor. In 2016, Stanford named Perry an “Engineering Hero.”

As an educator, Perry inspired more than 1,400 scholars globally, including his Ph.D. students, grand-students, and great-grand students. He also actively participated in environmental engineering programs at other universities, including Tsinghua University, China; Inha University, South Korea; and Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. Perry made numerous contributions to governments and industries. He served on the Lee Kuan Yew Water Prize Nominating Committee from 2008 to 2021. His leadership on committees of the U.S. National Research Council and the State of California provided essential direction for water reuse and bioremediation in the United States and abroad.

Everyone who knew Perry was touched by his kind and gentlemanly demeanor. Despite his many accolades, he was unassuming and genuinely interested in the wellbeing of others. He was a role model for students, faculty, and practitioners everywhere, and he will be long remembered.

Perry loved spending time with his family in nature — backpacking, hiking, swimming in the ocean, and birding. He also enjoyed listening to classical music, playing the harmonica, and reading about history.

Perry is survived by Martha, his wife of 70 years; four children — Perry L. McCarty, Jr. (Mary), Cara McCarty, Susan McCarty (Tom), and Kathleen Geist; six grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.