Charles Martin Hall
There are more than 1,300 active members of the Charles Martin Hall Society.
Charles Martin Hall grew up in Oberlin, Ohio, where his father and mother, Rev. Herman Hall and Sophronia Brooks Hall, earned their degrees from Oberlin College in 1847 and 1850, respectively. Hall was fascinated by chemistry in his youth and performed experiments in the family home and in the woodshed behind it. In due time, he and his six siblings entered and received their degrees from Oberlin College; Charles graduated with a B.A. in 1885.
In February 1886, while working in his woodshed laboratory, Hall developed an inexpensive and efficient process for producing aluminum. This scientific advance led to the creation of The Aluminum Company of America (later ALCOA) and made Hall a very successful man.
In many ways, Charles Martin Hall was a prototypical Oberlin student. Many of Hall's interests are also the interests of Oberlin College students today: science, the conservation movement, classical music, the visual arts, and international study/study abroad. The bequests from the Hall estate promoted the growth of strong programs in these fields of study and helped move Oberlin College into a position of eminence in higher education in America.
The Charles Martin Hall Society
We honor Hall's philanthropy through the Charles Martin Hall Society. The society recognizes alumni, parents and friends who, like Charles Martin Hall, have ensured that an Oberlin education will be possible for future generations of students through an estate or planned gift. There is no minimum gift size for membership. The thoughtfulness behind each and every estate and planned gift is greatly appreciated by Oberlin.
Today there are more than 1,300 active members of the Charles Martin Hall Society who enjoy a variety of membership benefits. For more information about the Charles Martin Hall Society, estate or planned giving options, contact the Office of Gift Planning at (440) 775-8599 or gift.planning@oberlin.edu today.
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