Skip to main content
Notice: The Library is open for research by appointment only, please visit our research services page for more information.

Industrial chemists

 Subject
Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings

Found in 34 Collections and/or Records:

Alfred Hermann Sommer papers

 Collection
Accession: 2500
Abstract:

Alfred Hermann Sommer (1909-2003) was a physical chemist who specialized in photoemission research and development. After fleeing from the German Nazi regime and working in London, he immigrated with his family to the United States in 1953. He took a job with the Radio Corporation of America (RCA) at its David Sarnoff Laboratory in Princeton, New Jersey, where he worked until 1974. The collection consists of several of Sommer's articles, publications, and patents.

Dates: 1947-1993

Alvin M. Taylor papers

 Collection
Accession: 2787
Abstract:

Alvin M. Taylor (1876-1973) was a chemist at the General Chemical Company, which specialized in industrial acids. This small collection consists primarily of reprints of articles on sulfuric acid, sulfur, and phenol-recovery. There are also some handwritten notes and correspondence.

Dates: 1915; 1931-1949

Charles J. Pedersen notebook on Amine oxides and N-oxides

 Collection
Accession: 2545
Abstract:

Charles J. Pedersen (1904-1989) was a research chemist with E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Company who spent most of his career at the Jackson Laboratory in Deepwater, New Jersey, and the Elastomer Chemicals Department at Wilmington, Delaware. This notebook consists of notes in Pedersen's own hand, with extensive chemical formulas and diagrams of molecules, interspersed with copies of journal articles.

Dates: 1951-1957

Charles Lee Reese papers

 Collection
Accession: 1590
Abstract:

Charles Lee Reese, Sr. (1862-1940) was a chemist and scientist at the E. I. du Pont de Nemours & Company from 1902 to 1931. The Charles L. Reese papers are a group of material from his student days, the texts of lectures and articles, biographical materials and genealogical notes.

Dates: 1831-1947; Majority of material found within 1880-1936

Charles M.A. Stine photographs

 Collection
Accession: 2011-330
Abstract:

Charles Milton Altland Stine (1882-1954) was a chemist and an employee of the DuPont Company for thirty eight years. The majority of the collection features portraits of Stine and one image of Stine receiving an award.

Dates: circa 1937-1945

Charles Shambelan patents and scientific publications

 Collection
Accession: 2764
Abstract:

Charles Shambelan (1930-2018) was a chemist and senior research fellow at the DuPont Company's Pioneering Research Laboratory from 1959 to 1990. Throughout his career at the DuPont Company, Shambelan made signifcant contributions to the development of Sontara, for which he holds several patents, and Kevlar. This collection consists of two items: a bound volume of Shambelan's patents and publications, and one group photograph of Pioneering Research Laboratory staff in January 1981.

Dates: 1959-1990

David H. Dawson papers

 Collection
Accession: 2817
Abstract:

David H. Dawson (1908-1976) was a chemist, senior vice president, and Executive Committee member at the DuPont Company, where he worked for forty years. Dawson's papers consist of speeches and published papers related to his professional life. They also include materials related to his undergraduate education at Drexel University and The Ohio State University, including his doctoral dissertation on heavy water, which probably relates to the hydrogen bomb's development during World War II. There are also some early engineering publications.

Dates: 1925; 1930-1978

George Parshall papers

 Collection
Accession: 2792
Abstract:

George Parshall (1929-2019) was an organometallic chemist who made notable contributions to homogeneous catalysis. He worked as a senior scientist at E. I. du Pont de Nemours & Company for thirty-eight years. This small collection mainly consists of a three-volume autobiography that covers Parshall's life, from growing up during the Great Depression, World War II, education, marriage and family, and career with the DuPont Company.

Dates: 1959-2015

Gordon D. Patterson papers

 Collection
Accession: 2247
Abstract:

Gordon Derby Patterson (1897-1982) was a chemist who spent nearly forty years with the Central Research Department (formerly the Chemical Department) at the E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Company, a chemical company more commonly referred to as the DuPont Company. In addition to his early work in pigments and rayon, Patterson directed research in high-energy radiation generators, radioactive tracer techniques, nuclear magnetic resonance, electron microscopy, and absorption spectroscopy. His papers provide extensive documentation for these projects, giving particular emphasis on ideas and suggestions for possible areas of exploration. In addition, there are administrative records, including outlines for research directors and the Steering Committee reviewing the status of current and proposed projects, as well as technical reference materials, such as summary reports, scientific papers, and literature reviews.

Dates: 1920-1966; Majority of material found within 1926-1962

Gordon M. Kline papers

 Collection
Accession: 2010
Abstract:

Gordon M. Kline (1903-1996) was highly involved in the plastics industry, beginning in its infancy. He worked in the plastics section of the National Bureau of Standards, editor of Modern Plastics, and with the U.S. government on preservation of significant historical items. The papers document his professional career with the National Bureau of Standards, along with material describing his work with the Society of the Plastics Industry, the American Society for Testing Materials, and the International Standards Organization.

Dates: 1930-1980

Herman Schroeder papers

 Collection
Accession: 2468
Abstract:

H.E. Schroeder (1915-2009) was a research chemist who spent most of his career with E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Company. His papers consist of documents and memorabilia covering his family and professional life.

Dates: 1901-1997

James Burton Nichols papers

 Collection
Accession: 2258
Abstract:

James Burton Nichols (1902-1995) was a chemist at the DuPont Company, a chemical research and manufacturing company. He worked at DuPont from 1927 to 1967, researching polymers, pigments, and ultracentrifugation. The Nichols papers include research papers and publications describing research work on the ultracentrifuge, colloid, and polymer chemistry projects.

Dates: 1929-1966

John R. Johnson and Wallace Hume Carothers correspondence

 Collection
Accession: 1842
Abstract:

John Raven Johnson (1900-1988) was a professor of chemistry at Cornell University from 1930 until his retirement in 1965. He also served as a consultant to E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Company from 1937 until 1951, where he worked for the Organic Chemicals Department. Wallace Hume Carothers (1896-1937) was a chemist and inventor of Neoprene artificial rubber and Nylon synthetic fiber. He worked as a chemist in E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Company's Fundamental Research Program from 1928 until his death in 1937. This collection consists of correspondence between Johnson and Carothers, who were close friends as well as colleagues. The letters are both professional and personal in nature. Several letters discuss laboratory research work in polymer chemistry and the role of the catalyst.

Dates: 1926-1936

Joseph Rule papers

 Collection
Accession: 2800
Abstract:

Joseph M. Rule (1922-2017) was a chemist and industrial marketing analyst in the Marketing Research Division of the Development Department at the DuPont Company. Later he became senior community affairs consultant in the Public Affairs Department. This small collection consists of materials from Rule's work for the Marketing Research Department. The materials include market research reports, DuPont Elastomers architectural files, and advertisements.

Dates: 1957-1970; 1981

L.G. Jackson papers

 Collection
Accession: 1964
Abstract:

Leroy Greenwood "L.G." Jackson (1889-1981) was a chemist for E. I. du Pont de Nemours & Company between 1911 and 1954. Jackson's small set of papers are primarily from his work related to gunpowder. This collection would be of interest to those interested in powder production. There are also two items from Jackson's time in rayon research.

Dates: 1911-1953

Oliver M. Hayden papers

 Collection
Accession: 2007
Abstract:

Oliver M. Hayden (1893-1991) was a chemist who specialized in rubber and worked for E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Company as manager of the laboratory where he was part of the team that developed Neoprene. His papers document his work on the Neoprene project, the activities of the Rubber Chemicals Division, and a draft of an oral history interview.

Dates: 1936-1989

Oral history interviews on Wallace Carothers

 Collection
Accession: 1994-311
Abstract:

Wallace Hume Carothers (1896-1937) was chemist and inventor of Neoprene artificial rubber and Nylon synthetic fiber. He worked as a chemist in E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Company's Fundamental Research Program from 1928 until his death in 1937. This collection contains five interviews conducted in July and August of 1978 with Wallace Carothers’s friends and colleagues. The interviewees primarily share stories and focus on their feelings surrounding Carothers’s personality, work, and suicide.

Dates: 1978

Oral history project notes on Wallace Hume Carothers

 Collection
Accession: 1985
Abstract:

Wallace Hume Carothers (1896-1937) was a chemist and inventor of Neoprene artificial rubber and Nylon synthetic fiber. He worked as a chemist in E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Company's Fundamental Research Program from 1928 until his death in 1937. The records include the handwritten transcripts of a series of interviews with persons who knew and worked with Carothers, conducted in 1978 and 1979. The interviews were conducted by Adeline Bassett Cook Strange (1917-2004), a teacher, researcher, and volunteer who spent her life dedicated to various charitable projects around Wilmington, Delaware.

Dates: 1925-1979; Majority of material found within 1978-1979

Parry Norling collection of DuPont Company audiovisual materials

 Collection
Accession: 2012-205
Abstract:

Parry Norling (1939-) was a career research chemist and manager with E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Company. This small collection consists of DuPont Company-related videotapes and slides accumulated by Parry Norling while in his role as Planning Director at DuPont's Central Research and Development during the 1990s.

Dates: 1990-1996

Parry Norling collection of DuPont Company records

 Collection
Accession: 2510
Abstract:

Parry Norling (1939-) was a career research chemist and manager with E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Company. Records consists of company documents and outside publications collected by Norling during his time at DuPont.

Dates: 1902-2004; Majority of material found within 1980-1995

Paul Arthur, Jr. papers

 Collection
Accession: 2536
Abstract:

Paul Arthur, Jr., (1915-2000) spent most of his career as an industrial research chemist in the Central Research Department of the E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Company, where his most notable achievement was his work on Crolyn, a type of magnetic tape which was used primarily in the instrumentation, video, and computer industries. This small collection, assembled by Arthur's sister, Dorothy Arthur, consists of press releases, photographs, and published clippings related to Arthur's career with the DuPont Company.

Dates: 1967-1994; Majority of material found within 1967-1977

Paul W. Morgan papers

 Collection
Accession: 2044
Abstract:

Paul W. Morgan (1911-1992) was a research chemist who spent his thirty-five-year career working in the DuPont Company's Pioneering Research Laboratory, part of the Textile Fibers Department (formerly the Rayon Department). His contributions include interfacial polycondensation reactions, a previously unexplored field of polymer chemistry. Morgan’s polymer condensation research ultimately yielded several commercially successful products. Among these were Nomex®, a high-temperature-resistant, thermally stable aramid fiber; Fiber B, a new tire reinforcing fiber that was twice as strong as ordinary synthetic tire yarns; and PRD-49, a high-modulus organic fiber marketed as Kevlar® aramid fiber. In addition to documenting Morgan’s career with DuPont, this collection also contains materials relating to the history of hand tools and tool manufacturers, amassed by Morgan following his retirement.

Dates: 1872-1990; Majority of material found within 1945-1989

Robert E. Holeton papers

 Collection
Accession: 2763
Abstract:

Robert E. Holeton (1911-1962) was an organic chemist at the DuPont Company from 1933 to 1962. He was the District Manager of the Petroleum Chemicals Division from 1954 until his death. From 1947 to 1953, Holeton perfomed "Chemical Magic" shows with a colleague in which they would demonstrate the unusual chemical reactions that can occur in the laboratory. These demonstrations were intentended to promote industrial safety. This small collection of Holeton's papers provides insight into his career as an industrial chemist, and then later as a sales represenative and district manager of the Petroleum Chemical Division. The collection strengths are the documentation related to industrial safety and Holeton's work performing the "Chemical Magic" shows and his time working at the Petroleum Chemical Division. There is a small but interesting set of material related to the Woodstown Civil Defense Council.

Dates: 1933-1962

Robert R. Radcliff papers

 Collection
Accession: 2485
Abstract:

Robert R. Radcliff (1916-2006) joined E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Co. as a chemist in 1945. As later division head for new products development at the Rubber Laboratory, later the Elastomers Laboratory at Chestnut Run, his principal achievement was developing the maleimide curing system for making "Hypalon" artificial rubber. The papers in this collection are a small selection of professional materials preserved by Dr. Radcliff and his family.

Dates: 1949-1973

Rolf Dessauer papers

 Collection
Accession: 2451
Abstract:

Rolf Dessauer (1926-) was a research chemist who specialized in dyes. He began a lengthy career with E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company in 1952 as a research chemist at Jackson Laboratory, DuPont’s center for dye research. Dessauer invented chemistry in which exposure to visible light stabilized the background enabling dark and light areas to retain their contrast. Intense research and patent studies led Dessauer and his colleagues to a new technology, UVI – Ultraviolet Imaging. Dessauer's papers document his career as a noted scientist and chemist.

Dates: 1930-1998

Stephanie Kwolek photographs

 Collection
Accession: 2014-202
Abstract:

Famous chemist and Kevlar inventor Stephanie L. Kwolek (1923-2014) was a research associate at DuPont for forty years. These photographs document her career.

Dates: 1938-1995

Stephanie Kwolek photographs and videotapes

 Collection
Accession: 2014-248
Abstract:

Stephanie Louise Kwolek (1923-2014) was an American chemist known for inventing Kevlar. She worked for the DuPont Company for forty years. Kwolek's main area of research was polymers, including high-performance fibers. This collection contains photographs, albums, slides and videotapes related to Kwolek's career and achievements, including her work on Kevlar.

Dates: circa 1920; 1948-2010; Majority of material found within 1970-1997

Stephanie L. Kwolek papers

 Collection
Accession: 2607
Abstract:

Stephanie Louise Kwolek (1923-2014) was an American chemist known for inventing Kevlar. The papers of Stephanie L. Kwolek chronicle her work over a forty year span at the DuPont Company. The collection includes patents, journal articles, awards, subject files, and speeches that were either produced by or aided Kwolek in her work.

Dates: 1937-2014

Wallace Carothers letter to John R. Johnson

 Collection
Accession: 1923
Abstract:

Wallace Hume Carothers (1896-1937) was a chemist and inventor of neoprene artificial rubber and nylon synthetic fiber. He worked as a chemist in E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Company's Fundamental Research Program from 1928 until his death in 1937. John Raven Johnson (1900-1988) was a professor of chemistry at Cornell University from 1930 until his retirement in 1965. He also served as a consultant to E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Company from 1937 until 1951, where he worked for the Organic Chemicals Department. This collection consists of a single short note from Carothers to Johnson thanking him for his recent hospitality.

Dates: 1936 January 6

Wallace Hume Carothers correspondence

 Collection
Accession: 2255
Abstract:

Wallace Hume Carothers (1896-1937) was a chemist and inventor of Neoprene artificial rubber and Nylon synthetic fiber. He worked as a chemist in E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Company's Fundamental Research Program from 1928 until his death in 1937. From 1915 to 1920, he attended Tarkio College in Missouri as a science major. This collection of Carothers' letters was written to and preserved by a close friend, Wilko Gustav Machentanz (1895-1973), with whom Carothers roomed for two of his years at Tarkio. The bulk of the letters were written between 1917 and 1922, before Carothers became absorbed in his doctoral studies, although the two corresponded as late as 1936.

Dates: 1915-1947; Majority of material found within 1917-1922

Wallace Hume Carothers letters to Frances Gelvin Spencer

 Collection
Accession: 2435
Abstract:

Wallace Hume Carothers (1896-1937) was a chemist and inventor of Neoprene artificial rubber and Nylon synthetic fiber. He worked as a chemist in E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Company's Fundamental Research Program from 1928 until his death in 1937. This collection consists of photocopies of fourteen letters written by Carothers to his former college girlfriend from Missouri, Frances Gelvin Spencer, between 1929 and 1933. The nature of the letters is almost entirely personal.

Dates: 1929-1933

Wallace Hume Carothers materials on Nylon

 Collection
Accession: 2726
Abstract:

Wallace Hume Carothers (1896-1937) was a chemist and inventor of Neoprene artificial rubber and Nylon synthetic fiber. He worked as a chemist in E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Company's Fundamental Research Program from 1928 until his death in 1937. This small collection consists of a mixture of materials collected in the decades following Carothers death related to the development of Nylon and polymerization. Included are reprinted articles, patent applications, biographical materials, and newspaper clippings.

Dates: 1933-1997

Wallace Hume Carothers papers

 Collection
Accession: 1896
Abstract:

Wallace Hume Carothers (1896-1937) was a chemist and inventor of Neoprene artificial rubber and Nylon synthetic fiber. He worked as a chemist in E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Company's Fundamental Research Program from 1928 until his death in 1937. This small collection consists of Carothers' professional and technical correspondence, primarily with colleagues in the Chemistry Department at Iowa State University, Harvard, and the DuPont Company. The papers describe the DuPont Company's recruitment of Carothers and his work on polymerization, which led to the development of Nylon.

Dates: 1925-1936

Willard H. Watkins photographs

 Collection
Accession: 2024-232
Abstract:

Willard H. Watkins (1874-1953) was a chemist and manager of the Application Laboratories for the Calco Chemical Division of the American Cyanamid Company. This small collection mainly consists of photographs depicting interior views of the chemical plant of the Allied Chemical and Dye Corporation in Buffalo, New York. These images show laboratory interiors with men and women working, dating to around the 1920s.

Dates: 1905-1953