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Tapes record history of the rubber industry
By Mark J. Price
Beacon Journal staff writer
Published on Monday, Apr 20, 2009
Voices from the past.
Nearly forgotten audio interviews, transferred to digital recordings from reel-to-reel tapes, whisper ingenious tales of Akron innovation.
''I downloaded them onto my computer on iTunes and I dumped a lot of them on my iPod and listened to them when I was working out,'' he said.
The recordings of scientists, inventors and executives provided insight into the greatest minds of the rubber industry.
Inman, president of Goldfinch Communications Inc. in Cuyahoga Falls, distilled the information into a history of the Rubber Division of the American Chemical Society. His 300-page book, Rubber Mirror: Reflections of the Rubber Division's First 100 Years, will be unveiled May 4 during the Akron-based group's centennial celebration at the John S. Knight Center.
The society provides technical information, educational resources and networking opportunities as it strives ''to expand the elastomeric profession.''
It stirred to life in 1909 as the India Rubber Section of the American Chemical Society. Charles Cross Goodrich, eldest son of Benjamin F. Goodrich, was the first chairman. Wanting to eliminate secrecy in the rubber industry, the group persuaded companies that it was in their interest to share information so they didn't have to keep reinventing the wheel — so to speak.
''In the early history of the organization, it was an unusual forum where people could get together,'' said Christopher Laursen, science and technology librarian at the division, who helped Inman with his research.
''Technically, people from Goodyear weren't supposed to talk to people from Goodrich, but they could come to a neutral setting — one of our technical meetings — and present technical papers on the latest and greatest in the rubber industry.''
The right chemistry
The Rubber Division and the University of Akron bonded at the molecular level. The year the division was established, professor Charles M. Knight began to teach the world's first rubber chemistry course at Buchtel College, UA's predecessor.
The division maintains a library at UA that is dedicated to rubber and polymer science. Inman's research began to solidify when he listened to audiotaped interviews of Charles Goodyear Medal recipients.
Presented since 1941, the medal is the division's top award. It honors individuals whose inventions and innovations have made significant changes or contributions to the rubber industry.
''Division historians went back as close to the starting point as they could,'' he said. ''They interviewed all the Goodyear Medal winners. We almost went back to 1909 with those tapes.''
One interview that Inman found fascinating was by Loren Sebrell, an Alliance native who was director of research at Goodyear. He got his start in the division through the chemical warfare group in World War I.
''They would go into their chemistry labs and make all their concoctions and experiments,'' Inman said. ''Their eyes would start to burn. They would have to go outside and wait until they cleared up. . . . At one point, he went outside, but it didn't clear up. They had to hospitalize him for a couple weeks. He didn't know if he was going to be able to see or not.''
The war effort
One chapter is devoted to the division's efforts during World War II. The group was key in developing a synthetic rubber program after the war cut off the U.S. supply of natural rubber.
''Everybody from that era dropped what they were doing and combined their efforts to help solve a common problem,'' Inman said.
The division's past membership files read like a who's who of the rubber industry.
• George Oenslager, a chemist with Diamond Rubber and B.F. Goodrich, discovered the first organic accelerator, a chemical blended into rubber that speeded the process of curing.
• Waldo Semon, a Goodrich chemist who held 116 patents, invented vinyl and helped lead the U.S. emergency effort to produce synthetic rubber during World War II.
• Ray P. Dinsmore, vice president and research chief at Goodyear, helped develop synthetic rubber, transparent wrapping paper, rayon tires and electrostatic air filters.
• James D'Ianni, director of elastomer and chemical research division at Goodyear, did pioneering work in synthetic rubber, held 17 patents, wrote 50 technical papers and donated $1.75 million to UA.
• Hezzleton Simmons, a chemistry professor who served as the University of Akron's president from 1933 to 1951, helped establish the polymer science program.
• G. Stafford Whitby, director of rubber research and professor of rubber chemistry at UA during World War II, helped pioneer polymer science.
''The history of the division is the history of Akron the Rubber City,'' said Edward L. Miller, executive director of the group.
Miller joined the division in 2001, the year the $6 million Polymer Engineering Academic Center opened at UA. The division's offices are on the top floor of the four-story building. Formerly run by volunteers, it now has a private staff of nine that manages daily operations.
The group is one of 34 divisions in the American Chemical Society and the only one that does its own programming. It sponsors expositions, scholarships and technical meetings, and publishes its own science journal and books.
About 2,000 belong to the society, including chemists, engineers, technicians and sales staff.
''It's not just the rubber industry,'' Miller said. ''It's the rubber industry, the polymer industry, the elastomer industry. It's an evolution. It's been expanding.''
Partying Chemists
The centennial celebration May 4 will be a black-tie-optional gala with dinner and dancing. At least 300 guests are expected. The event is open to the general public, too.
''We started planning for this two years out,'' said Karen May, marketing manager for the division. ''We got sponsors on board to help with all the celebrations. Hank started writing a book and wrote it in less than a year.''
For those who wish to reflect on 100 years, the Rubber Mirror is a good place to look.
''The book is outstanding,'' Miller said.
Mark J. Price is a Beacon Journal copy editor. He can be reached at 330-996-3850 or send e-mail to mjprice@thebeaconjournal.com.
Get the full article here.
Comments
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Canton, OH
Posted 11:09 AM, 04/21/2009
Ionic or CoValent ??????????????
