John Franz obit

John Edward Franz

December 21, 1929  -  April 27, 2026 

He was not on the list.

John Edward Franz, 96, entered into eternal rest in his home surrounded by his family. John was born on December 21, 1929, in Springfield, Illinois to Joseph and Elsie (Skehan) Franz.

He is preceded in death by his mother, Elsie Franz, his father, Joseph Franz , his wife, Elinor Franz, his siblings, Joe Franz, Bob Franz, Fritz Franz, and Eleanor Jean Fran

He is survived by his four children, Mary Sue Davis, John Richard (Christine) Franz, Gary Steven Franz, and Judith Ann (Jim) Touzinsky, his two grandchildren, Jimmy (Tiara Lang) Touzinsky and Jennifer Smiles, his three great grandchildren, Ellianna Rose, Elsa Azalea, and Novaya Elinor, his brother, Lawrence "Buzzy" (Jean) Franz, numerous nieces, nephews, other relatives and many dear friends.

John received his PhD in organic Chemistry at the University of Minnesota in 1955 after which he worked for Monsanto for 35 years, retiring in 1990. He was the recipient of multiple prestigious science awards and was responsible for numerous patents. He was a long time member of the American Chemical Society. He was known as Mr. Monsanto to many. When he wasn't working, he enjoyed going on hikes, playing tennis, reading, gardening, traveling and spending time with his family. He was a devoted husband and father. He was dearly loved by his family.

Arrangements are under the direction of Lupton - Millard Chapel at Oak Hill Cemetery, Kirkwood, Missouri.

He discovered the herbicide glyphosate while working at Monsanto Company in 1970. The chemical became the active ingredient in Roundup, a broad-spectrum, post-emergence herbicide. Franz earned acclaim and rewards for this breakthrough. He also has over 840 patents to his name worldwide.

Franz spent his entire career at Monsanto in St. Louis, Missouri. After finishing his Ph.D., Franz was hired by Monsanto as a Resident Chemist in 1955. He focused on process research, new polymer synthesis, and the development of plasticizers and polymer flame retardants. Franz received two patents while working in the Organic Division, one for nitrates in 1960, and one for a fire retardant in 1967. He transferred to the Agricultural Division of Monsanto in 1967, motivated by the department's "emphasis on publishing, academic contacts, and the freedom to pursue ideas." Because his background was in organic chemistry, Franz familiarized himself with the new field by spending a year studying and learning about plant physiology and biochemistry before beginning research.

Franz received awards for his discovery. In 1977, he was awarded the IR-100 award by Industrial Research magazine. In 1981, he received the first J.F. Queeny Award from Monsanto to honor an invention that was also a commercial success. He was the recipient of the 1987 National Medal of Technology, one of the few agricultural technologies to ever receive the honor. Franz received the American Chemical Society’s Carothers Award in 1989 for "outstanding contributions and advances in industrial applications of chemistry". In 1990, he was awarded the Perkin Medal by the American Section of the Society of Chemical Industry, based on his contributions to the research and development of applied chemistry. Franz also won the Outstanding Achievement Award in 1988, the 1988 Missouri Award, and was named the St. Louis Metropolitan Bar Association Inventor of the Year in 1986. Roundup was named one of the "Top 10 Products That Changed the Face of Agriculture" by the magazine Farm Chemicals in 1994. Franz was inducted into the United States' Inventor's Hall of Fame on May 5, 2007.