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Path to the academic world

Gustaf Komppa was born on July 28, 1867, in Viipuri. His father was a carriage driver named David Komppa, and his mother was Helena Lipponen. Komppa attended primary and secondary school, and it was during these times that he became interested in natural sciences, particularly chemistry. He conducted small chemical experiments at home, such as distilling resin with water to produce a small amount of turpentine. Komppa graduated from secondary school in the spring of 1880 and moved on to Viipuri Real School. The school's principal and natural sciences teacher, Hugo Zilliacus, inspired Komppa to delve into natural sciences. However, chemistry education at the real school was limited. Additionally, Komppa was unfortunate to contract typhoid fever and was unable to attend all the chemistry classes. In his memoirs, Komppa recounts that he was able to attend one chemistry lesson to demonstrate his skills. His showcase led to the principal sending him home and forbidding him from coming to school for the remainder of that spring.

To compensate for the lessons missed due to illness, Zilliacus suggested to Komppa that he take on a teaching role in his subjects. Komppa took E. A. Piponius as his pupil, who later became a professor and his colleague. Together, they collected plants and conducted physical and chemical experiments. In the upper grades, Komppa had his own small laboratory at home, where he produced chemical substances whenever he had enough money for supplies. According to Komppa, his interest in the plant world began in his early youth.

Gustaf Komppa's decision to work in the field of chemistry became increasingly clear as his schooling progressed towards the end. He had read old biographies of chemists and from them gained the impression that the best way to conduct chemical experiments was through work in a pharmacy. Komppa secured a job at Viipuri's so-called Heinricius Pharmacy and interrupted his studies just after moving to 5th grade. After working at the pharmacy, it became clear to him that the job did not involve enough chemical experiments or daily use of chemistry. Therefore, Komppa returned to school and graduated with a diploma in 1885. Gustaf Komppa never graduated as a student with the Finnish matriculation exam. He did not have the means to immediately go study in Helsinki at the Polytechnic Institute, so he ended up working at the Francke & Hackman office in Viipuri. He received a new opportunity to start his studies in Helsinki when his father's friend, Consul Eugen Wolff, decided to lend him money to continue his education. Komppa began his studies in Helsinki in the fall of 1886 at the Polytechnic Institute's department of chemistry.

Student period at the Polytechnic Institute

In his second year, Gustaf Komppa finally had the opportunity to work in the chemistry laboratory. The chemistry instruction was led by the institute's principal, Chancellor Ernst Qvist. Komppa had completed all the required qualitative analyses and simple inorganic syntheses at the beginning of the semester, which allowed him to perform quantitative analyses during the spring semester. Simultaneously, he began conducting independent scientific research in inorganic chemistry, preparing new salts of chlorosulfonic acid and platinum compounds, among other things. In his third year, Komppa was able to work in his specialty area, organic chemistry, focusing on organic chemical syntheses. In his final year of study, Gustaf Komppa began his scientific work for his licentiate by studying the monosubstitution results of styrolene. He also completed a major in chemistry at the University of Helsinki. In the spring of 1890, Komppa graduated with a degree in chemical engineering from the chemical department. Additionally, he earned a Bachelor of Philosophy degree at the University of Alexander in May 1891. After graduating, Komppa founded the Chemistry Club at the Polytechnic Institute.

In the spring of 1895, Gustaf Komppa embarked on his second study trip to Leipzig, where he worked in the laboratory of Professor Johann Wislicenus. In the following years, Komppa made several study trips to Germany, Scandinavia, and Switzerland. In 1899, the Imperial Senate of Finland appointed Gustaf Komppa as a permanent chemistry teacher at the Polytechnic Institute. In his memoirs, Komppa mentions that Swedish-minded parties had attempted to oppose his appointment by nominating Ossian Aschan as a candidate for the position and promising him the salary of a laboratory prefect. However, Aschan withdrew from the application process because the Senate did not approve the establishment of the prefecture advocated by the Swedish-speaking party before the application period ended.

When Professor Henrik Alfred Wahlforss was involved in a traffic accident, Gustaf Komppa was assigned to take over his position. This also granted him a voting seat in the Collegium of the Polytechnic Institute. The atmosphere in the collegium was very contentious, as political party struggles were at their peak. Debates about filling positions at the institute were common, with the language question at the center of the discussion. Komppa became the first person to begin using his native language, Finnish, in the collegium. In the spring of 1903, Gustaf Komppa became engaged to Siiri Saima Andelin, and they were married on August 3, 1903.

Professor at the Helsinki University of Technology

In May 1907, Tsar Nicholas II of Russia granted Gustaf Komppa the title of professor which was personal. The teachers at the Polytechnic Institute did not originally have the official title of professor. This changed in 1908 when the institute’s name was changed to the Helsinki University of Technology. In the same year, Gustaf Komppa was appointed as a permanent professor of general chemistry and laboratory prefect. In 1912, Komppa had the opportunity to participate in the "Eight International Congress for Applied Chemistry" held in the United States, in which Finland took part as part of the Russian Empire. At the congress, Komppa received great respect from the organic chemistry department and became acquainted with notable figures in the field of chemistry.

Products of the chemical industry became extremely important when Finland faced a severe food shortage and civil war during 1917-1918. The country ran out of liquid fuels and lubricants. Komppa was appointed head of the resin and dry distillation section of the Trade and Industry Commission established in April 1918. In the same year, he was appointed head of the explosives section of the engineer staff in the Defense Department. In the 1920s, Gustaf Komppa undertook several representative duties across Europe. His reputation as a chemistry professor had spread far, and he delivered lectures on his research at various universities and conferences. Komppa networked extensively during his travels, becoming acquainted with people such as King Christian X of Denmark, whom he met at several different occasions. While traveling once again to Zurich, Komppa wrote a total of 10 scientific publications. Gustaf Komppa was awarded an honorary doctorate at the 450th anniversary of the University of Copenhagen in 1929. In addition to this, he was awarded honorary doctorates at Uppsala University in 1932 and Heidelberg University in 1936.

The professorship at Helsinki University of Technology continued into the 1930s. Gustaf Komppa earned the nickname "Master" from his students due to his unique ability to succeed in difficult organic syntheses.

Gustaf Komppa still participated in an international chemistry congress and received an invitation to Germany in December 1941 to present a summary of his research from the last 15 years. At the end of the event, Komppa was awarded the silver medal of the founder of the German Chemical Society (Deutsche Chemische Gesellschaft), A.W. Hofmann, for his academic work. Gustaf Komppa served as the chancellor of the University of Turku until 1945. He spent most of his retirement days at his Tammisto estate in Karjalohja, among ornamental trees and plants. The estate evolved into what is now known as the Tammisto Arboretum. Gustaf Komppa passed away on January 20, 1949, in Helsinki.

Scientific achievements

Gustaf Komppa developed the total synthesis of camphor between 1901 and 1903. Camphor is a terpene found naturally, particularly in the wood of the camphor tree. It is used for various purposes, such as medicinal preparations, insect repellents, and in the wood industry. The synthetic production of camphor became important because natural sources were limited, and plants were overutilized. Komppa's synthesis process for camphor was multi-step and was based on several chemical reactions from industrially available compounds. For the initial synthesis stages, he used simple starting materials like alpha-pinene, which he had previously successfully synthesized. This made the synthesis chain more manageable. The synthesis method for camphor was revolutionary since it was the first time such a complex natural compound could be produced industrially. However, the production of camphor quickly became unprofitable as early plastics began to dominate the market. The synthesis of camphor made Gustaf Komppa internationally known and provided a significant boost to the development of synthetic organic chemistry.

Gustaf Komppa’s impact on society

In addition to his academic career, Gustaf Komppa was an active figure in the development of industrialization in Finland. Komppa developed a method for producing resin acids and turpentine from domestic raw materials, such as coniferous trees. In 1907, together with Wilhelm Hackman and Eugen Wolff, Komppa founded Suomalainen Kemiallinen Oy, which began camphor production in Tainionkoski. He received a patent for the method in 1917. After World War I, Komppa helped establish the pharmaceutical company Orion Oy in Helsinki along with Onni Turpeinen, Eemil Tuurala, and Wikki Valkama. Orion was a Finnish-speaking counteraction against the Swedish-speaking Medica, from which the aforementioned partners, excluding Komppa, had been dismissed. Komppa and his collaborators saw the need to develop a domestic pharmaceutical industry that could provide medicines for the local market. Komppa's involvement was crucial as he brought extensive knowledge of chemical processes and the application of industrial chemistry. In addition to the Orion pharmaceutical company, Komppa was involved in the establishment of the State Gunpowder Factory in Vihtavuori, as well as the State Sulfuric Acid and Superphosphate Factory in 1920, now known as Kemira.

In the early 1930s, it was extremely urgent for Finland's Defense Council to find a solution to the fuel issue, as oil reserves were unavailable. To address this a state motor fuel committee was established. However, there was no consensus on purchasing patents related to domestic gasoline production. Gustaf Komppa already had his own peat gasoline research from the late 1920s, so a research project to produce gasoline from domestic peat and wood raw materials was initiated to promote industry. In this method, peat and wood raw materials were converted into hydrocarbons at high pressure and temperature, a process known as hydrogenation. This was a practical innovation, especially during times of scarcity. Gustaf Komppa attempted to secure international funding for the manufacturing method to make it industrially viable. The global market was at a very poor state just before World War II, so the project did not reach industrial production. Nevertheless, during the war years, Komppa used gasoline produced in his private laboratory in his car.

Involvement to society and official posts

Gustaf Komppa was actively involved in science policy and was an influential figure. He served as the chairman of the Alfred Kordelin Foundation for the Promotion and Advancement of Culture. Finnish-speaking science and technology organizations were established in the early 20th century, and Gustaf Komppa was one of the initiators. He was involved in founding the Finnish Academy of Science and Letters in 1908 and the Finnish Society of Chemists in 1919. Komppa served as the permanent secretary of the Finnish Academy of Science and Letters until 1944 and was named an honorary member after his long career. In the Finnish Society of Chemists, he served as the first chairman. In 1937, Gustaf Komppa was awarded the Gadolin Medal for his distinguished career in the field of chemistry in Finland. A lecture hall at the former Helsinki University of Technology and the Gust. Komppa Grant Fund of the Alfred Kordelin Foundation are named after him.

The personal archive collection of Gustaf Komppa consists of correspondence, letters, manuscripts, a memoir manuscript, obituaries, speeches, newspaper clippings, student assignments, notes, various invitations to different celebrations and events, documents from his Tammisto estate in Karjalohja, as well as Komppa's own scientific publications. The collection consists of 10 units and is freely accessible, considering copyright laws. The personal archives preserved at Aalto University’s Archive are significant as they help to study the history and development of the university and its faculties. These personal archives also provide valuable support for researchers.

Writer: Erik Liesalho

Sources:

- Komppa, Gustaf. Memoirs. Aalto University archive.

- Nykänen, P. (2007). Kortteli sataman laidalla: Suomen teknillinen korkeakoulu 1908-1941. WSOY.