John Haas, retired chairman of Rohm and Haas Company, dies

John C. Haas, retired chairman of Rohm and Haas Company and a tireless champion of community service both regionally and nationally, died Saturday morning at age 92. He was a son of Otto Haas, co-founder of the global chemical company headquartered in Philadelphia and Phoebe Waterman Haas, who was among the first women to receive a doctorate in astronomy.

Mr. Haas died at his family home in Villanova of natural causes, a family spokesperson said. Family members were at his side.

"Our father was a kind and charitable man, and that was reflected in every aspect of his life," said a statement from his children. "He truly lived the values handed down from his parents, and we are gratified that his good works continue to live on through the people and organizations he touched."

Mr. Haas, of Villanova, spent his entire professional career with the Rohm and Haas Company beginning as a Process Engineer at the Bridesburg plant in Philadelphia in 1942.

Shortly thereafter, he was called to active duty as a U.S. Naval Officer during World War II, but returned to Bridesburg after his discharge in 1946.

Very early in his career, he exhibited an affinity for what he often termed "the people side of the business," and enjoyed subsequent managerial assignments at the company's production facilities in Knoxville, TN. as well as Houston, TX.

By 1953 he had risen to the position of vice president in charge of personnel, and soon after assumed the additional responsibilities of purchasing and logistics. He was named vice-chairman of the board in 1959 and chairman in 1974.

Mr. Haas was committed to the company and its employees. It was his work in the community, however, that defined him.

In 1960, after the death of his father, Mr. Haas was named chairman of the charitable foundation established by his parents in 1945 - now known as the William Penn Foundation - in response to social problems in the aftermath of World War II.

He poured himself into this activity, and under his 32-year leadership, and with further bequests from his parents, the foundation's grants budget grew dramatically.

The foundation, and its unique family/private model, is widely admired in the non-profit world. After the sale of the Rohm and Haas Company to Dow Chemical in 2009, Mr. Haas directed a significant portion of the family's charitable assets from that sale to the William Penn Foundation to ensure a strong future for its work.