William Otto Frohring

Biochemist, inventor, business executive. Co-inventor of SMA, the first commercial infant formula.

What is William Otto Frohring known for?

William Otto Frohring, born on July 1, 1893, in Cleveland, Ohio, was a remarkable biochemist, inventor, and business executive who left his mark on the world of infant nutrition. Raised by his father, William Erhardt Frohring, a railroad engineer, and his mother, Martha Louise Bliss, he graduated from East Technical High School in Cleveland. Early in his career, he worked as a motorcycle mechanic at the Luna Park Motordrome.

After gaining a scholarship to Ohio State Agricultural College, his studies focused on bacteriology and dairy technology, leading to his graduation in 1915. Nearly immediately after, Frohring entered the workforce on the loading dock at Telling-Belle Vernon Dairy, the largest dairy in Ohio.

Among his notable achievements in science and business, he was a co-developer of "simulated milk adapted" (SMA), the first commercial infant formula to be distributed in the United States. This groundbreaking invention reshaped infant nutrition and became one of the most widely consumed formulas globally.

Through his career, Frohring held 15 patents, demonstrating his inventive mind and leading-edge research in dairy products and the refinement, synthesis, and manufacture of vitamin products. He was the driving force behind the creation of SMA, stepping forward as the business leader of the group. His innovative ideas included giving the patent of the formula to Babies Dispensary and Children's Hospital and licensing the manufacture to Telling-Belle Vernon Dairy.

In addition to SMA, Frohring invented several pieces of laboratory and dairy processing equipment. He also led Laboratory Products Company, a subsidiary of the Telling-Belle Vernon Dairy, which became the world's major supplier of carotene. His other inventions included a process for the production of soluble casein, an improved process for lactose production, vitamin C concentrate from orange and tomato juice, and a nutritionally beneficial formulation called "Frohs Malted Chocolate Milk".

Furthermore, in the early 1950s, Frohring had patents for his line of compact, portable cement mixers named Frohring Cement Mixers. Impressively, he also developed a neurological research device known as a biothesiometer, used to determine a patient's sensitivity to vibration.

Frohring passed away on September 13, 1959, in Newbury, Ohio, leaving behind a legacy of innovation and groundbreaking research in the field of biochemistry, specifically in the domain of infant nutrition, that continues to influence the world today.