UC Grad and Professor Honored for Inventing Benadryl

Former UC professor of chemical engineering and Chemistry department graduate George Rieveschl was honored May 16 at the Queen City Club, downtown for having invented beta-dimethylaminoethylbenzhydryl ether hydrochloride (better-known as Benadryl), 60 years ago this month.

Allergy sufferers worldwide turn to Benadryl, a medicine that blocks histamine, to relieve allergic reactions such as swelling, watery eyes and runny noses. Known generically as diphenhydramine hydrochloride, Benadryl was the first, and remains one of the most effective, prescription antihistamines on the market. Rieveschl’s invention is also widely found in non-prescription sleep medications.

Read a full article about Rieveschl and Benadryl on

The Cincinnati Enquirer’s Web site

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