Carl Bosch (1874-1940) was a German chemist. He was born in Cologne on August 24, 1874. He studied metallurgy and mechanical engineering from 1894 to 1896 at the Technische Hochschule in Charlottenburg. After this he studied chemistry at Leipzip University. In 1899 he started work at the Badische Anilin-und Sodafabrik (BASF) company as a chemist, and helped in the development of the new industry of synthetic indigo.
Bosch became interested in the fixation of nitrogen, and in 1907 he started a pilot plant for production of barium cyanide. In 1908, he was responsible for developing the process of high pressure synthesis of ammonia on a large industrial scale. This became known as the Haber-Bosch process. He received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1931 for this feat.
In 1925 Bosch was appointed Chairman of the Board of Directors of the new corporate giant I.G. Farben. In 1928 he also became director of Ford Motor A.G., the German division of Ford Motor Company, of which 40% was owned by I.G. Farben. He spoke out against the policy of the Nazi party, but this did nothing to influence Hitler and his supporters. He later resigned from the board of directors at I.G. Farben. He received honorary doctorates from several German universities, as well as Honorary Senator of the universities of Heidelberg and Leipzig. He died on April 26, 1940.
Sources:
http://www.nobel.se/chemistry/laureates/1931/bosch-bio.html
http://search2.eb.com/nobel/micro/79_72.html