Dr. Jacque C. Morrell held more than 400 patents, most of them for inventions related to the production and refining of petroleum. The basic sulfuric acid-alkylation process for producing iso-octane aviation fuel, which he originated in the 1930’s, is named for him. He also has patents for TNT and absorbents used in gas masks.

During World War I, he served as master engineer in the Chemical Warfare Service. Because of the heavy use of gas warfare, coconut shells were valued as an absorbant material but were in short supply. Jacque developed a process for making absorbents from wood and coal. He received more than 25 patents for the process and assigned them to the government.

Following his work with the Army during WWI, Jacque worked from 1921 to 1942 for the Universal Oil Products Company in Chicago as associate director of the company’s research laboratories.  In June, 1940, Jacque Morrell announced that along with Aristid Grosse and Julian Mavity he had developed a new process critical to the production of Synthetic Rubber, SBR.  He also developed a process to produce TNT, trinitrotoluene, from coal tar that made it possible for the U.S. to manufacture 88 billion tons as easily as it had produced 3 billion tons.

During World War II, Jacque returned to the Chemical Warfare Service as the Chief of Development. In 1949, he became chief of staff for intelligence research and analysis for the Central Intelligence Agency.

Jacque retired from the C.I.A. in 1957 and continued his work in chemical engineering, first in developing longer-lasting catalysts to be used in the petroleum refining and later in developing ways to refine shale oil.