Ben D. Holt, 81, a research chemist at Argonne National Laboratory who specialized in sulfate pollutants generated by the burning of coal, died Monday, Jan. 29, in his Hinsdale home. Mr. Holt, a native of Shelbyville, Tenn., received a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from the University of Tennessee and moved to Chicago, where he received a master’s degree at the University of Chicago and a doctorate at Illinois Institute of Technology, both in chemistry. “At the beginning of his career, he was at the University of Chicago, where he had a tangential relationship with the Manhattan Project,” said his son, Tom. Mr. Holt joined the staff of Argonne in 1951 and retired briefly in 1986. “He did not want to be in the way, but a week after retirement, he was hired back as a contract employee,” his son said. Mr. Holt’s work focused on the identification of airborne pollutants, principally coal and its characteristics when burned. “His research could tell you the source of the coal,” his son said. Mr. Holt also was an elder at West Suburban Church of Christ in Berkeley, a church he helped found. “He devoted much of his life to the church and took a great interest in its ministries that reached out across the world,” his son said. “He was committed to his family, and the grandchildren can attest to the fact that he was a devoted family man.” Mr. Holt also is survived by his wife, Louise; two daughters, Mary Lou Craig and Jane Whitworth; 17 grandchildren; and a great-grandchild. Services will be at 11 a.m. Thursday in West Suburban Church of Christ, 5141 St. Charles Rd., Berkeley.
