History of Waters Corporation in Timeline

By Popular Timelines Editorial Team · Updated: July 14, 2025

Waters Corporation is a publicly traded American company specializing in analytical laboratory instruments and software. Headquartered in Milford, Massachusetts, it has over 7,800 employees and manufacturing plants in Massachusetts, Ireland, and England. With a global presence, Waters operates in 35 countries, including Germany, Singapore, India, and Japan. Waters Corporation provides a wide range of analytical solutions, including chromatography, mass spectrometry, and related software that help scientists and researchers in various fields, such as pharmaceuticals, life sciences, and environmental analysis.

1946: Waters Graduates from Columbia University

In 1946, James Waters graduated from Columbia University as an ensign with a B.S. degree in Physics, after enrolling in the V-12 Navy College Training Program.

1958: Waters Associates Founded

In 1958, James (Jim) Logan Waters started Waters Associates in an office located in the basement of a police station in Framingham, Massachusetts.

1962: Waters Associates Opens to External Ownership

In 1962, Waters opened Waters Associates to external ownership, after initially being self-financed through proceeds from an earlier business sale.

1967: ALC 100 LC System Brought to Market

In 1967, Waters brought the ALC 100, its first Liquid Chromatography (LC) system, to market.

1968: Introduction of the ALC 100 LC System at the Pittsburgh Conference

The ALC 100 LC system was formally introduced at the 1968 Pittsburgh Conference. It was a benchtop system equipped with a Milton Roy pump, syringe injection, and two detectors: a Waters differential refractometer and a UV detector from the Laboratory Data Control (LDC) Co.

1969: Millipore Invests in Waters

In 1969, Dimitri D’Arbeloff, then president of Millipore Corporation, joined Waters' board of directors, and Millipore's venture capital subsidiary made a $600,000 equity investment in Waters.

1972: Waters Aids in Vitamin B12 Synthesis

In 1972, Dr. Helmut Hamberger sought Jim Waters’ help to purify positional isomers needed for the first synthesis of vitamin B12. The pair developed a separation in two days, scaled up the separation in five more days, and prepped the material in three more days, resulting in the isolation and purification of 200 mg of the precursor compound.

1972: Frank Zenie Appointed President of Waters Associates

In 1972, Frank Zenie was appointed as the president of Waters Associates.

1979: Dow Chemical Attains Ownership in Waters

By 1979, Dow Chemical had acquired nearly 25 percent ownership in Waters, following an initial purchase of one of Waters' first gel permeation chromatography instruments and an additional investment of $400,000.

1980: Waters Merges with Millipore

In 1980, Waters merged with Millipore and was renamed the Waters Chromatograph Division. Jim Waters continued as chairman until the merger.

1993: Waters Returns to Independence

In 1993, Waters regained its independence under the leadership of Douglas A. Berthiaume, who assumed the role of Chairman, President, and Chief Executive Officer.