$1M Gift Establishes Endowment for Case Materials Characterization Laboratory.

Gift from the Fred A. Lennon Charitable Trust Establishes the Swagelok Center for Surface Analysis of Materials

CLEVELAND -- A $1 million grant from the Fred A. Lennon Charitable Trust means a new name and a lot more resources for a nationally renowned materials characterization facility at the Case School of Engineering. Previously known as the Center for Surface Analysis of Materials, the center will now bear the name of longtime Case corporate partner, Swagelok Company.

Now known as the Swagelok Center for Surface Analysis of Materials, the center is a multi-user analytical facility providing instrumentation for microstructural characterization of materials as well as surface and near-surface chemical analysis. First established in 1974 as a center for electron microscopy, the facility has served thousands of academic and industrial partners over the last quarter century. In 1986, the center received a grant from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA)--matched by funds from the state of Ohio --which allowed it to substantially expand operations. Since that time, major funding from the state and the National Science Foundation have allowed it to continue to upgrade and expand.

According to center director Arthur H. Heuer, this new funding from the Lennon Trust helps secure the center's future. "We have close to 200 academic and industrial users in any given year, and these individuals have become accustomed to the highest quality equipment and service," said Heuer, University Professor and Kyocera Professor of Materials Science at Case and a member of the National Academy of Engineering. "This funding ensures that we can continue to offer state-of-the-art instrumentation and Ph.D.-level staff engineers."

The Lennon Trust was formed upon the death of Swagelok's founder, Fred A. Lennon. It is a charitable trust dedicated to education, health care, and economic development in northeast Ohio.

About the Case School of Engineering

Providing unparalleled engineering education and research for 125 years, the Case School of Engineering is committed to "EngineeringOPlus": education beyond the classroom, research across disciplines and relationships around the world. Wherever they go, Case faculty, students and alumni consistently lead their fields and have a beneficial impact on society.

About Swagelok Company

Headquartered in Solon, Ohio, Swagelok Company is a major developer and provider of fluid system solutions, including products, assemblies, and services for the research, instrumentation, pharmaceutical, oil and gas, power, petrochemical, alternative fuels, and semiconductor industries. Its manufacturing, research, technical support, and distribution facilities support a global network of more than 200 authorized sales and service centers in 54 countries. For more information about Swagelok, visit the company's Web site at www.swagelok.com.