Rubber Division, ACS Centennial Events

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Throughout 2009, the Rubber Division, ACS is celebrating 100 years of service to people and organizations associated with the rubber and affiliated industries. For the past century, the Rubber Division, ACS has been providing educational programs, technical resources and other vital services to employees and organizations by serving as a global resource center for networking and partnerships between academia and industry.

Centennial Celebration

Centennial Coverage

Rubber & Plastics News May 4, 2009 Issue

 

WKSU Interview by Jeff St. Clair

Event Information

This event will also celebrate the 100th anniversary of the world's first course in rubber chemistry offered by The University of Akron's predecessor, Buchtel College. The University of Akron has played a role in nearly every major development in the evolution of rubber chemistry and polymer science since the dawn of the 20th century. In 1988, UA established the world’s first College of Polymer Science and Polymer Engineering, the largest academic program of its kind. Today, UA’s polymer researchers continue to open new frontiers in science and engineering through nanotechnology, biomaterials and photonics.

As part of the joint celebration, throughout the evening the top 15 inventions from the Rubber Band Contest for Young Inventors will also be on display for all attendees. The Rubber Band Contest for children in grades 5-8, sponsored by the Alliance Rubber Co., is hosted jointly by the Rubber Division, ASC, The University of Akron and its Akron Global Polymer Academy.

That same evening, the Rubber Division will unveil Rubber Mirror: Reflections of the Rubber Division's First 100 Years, a book that documents the 100-year history (1909-2009) of the Rubber Division through the lives of the many people who created the organization that exists today. The book is written by Henry J. Inman, a former newspaper writer and corporate public relations executive with The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company.

Our Honorary Chairman and Keynote Speaker for this event will be John D. Ong. Mr. Ong was appointed by President George W. Bush Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States to the Kingdom of Norway in 2001. He served in this capacity until November 30, 2005.

Mr. Ong has had a long and distinguished record as a leader in the business community. Presently Chairman Emeritus of the B. F. Goodrich Company, he retired as chairman of the Board of Directors in 1997 after more than 36 years of service to the company. He held a variety of positions during his tenure at B. F. Goodrich, including vice-president and president of International B. F. Goodrich and President and Chief Operating Officer. From 1979 until 1996, he served as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. In 1984, President Reagan appointed Mr. Ong to the President’s Commission on Industrial Competitiveness, where he served as Co-Chair of its International Trade Committee.

Mr. Ong has played a leadership role in a number of key organizations involved with education and business. He is a life trustee of the University of Chicago and is a trustee of The Ohio State University, the Musical Arts Association of Cleveland, Ohio (Cleveland Orchestra), and the Fort Ligonier Association, and a trustee emeritus of Western Reserve Academy in Hudson, Ohio. Mr. Ong is a leading advocate for business involvement in civic and cultural activities, both nationally and in northeast Ohio. He is a former Chairman of the Business Roundtable, the National Alliance of Business, the Business Committee for the Arts, New American Schools, Inc., and the Ohio Business Roundtable. He was a member of The Business Council from 1989 until 2005. He is a member of the Council of Retired Chief Executives and the Council of American Ambassadors. He has served as a director of seven S & P 500 companies. Mr. Ong is a recipient of the Humanities Award of Distinction from Ohio State University’s College of Humanities, the Alumni Medal from Ohio State University, and honorary doctorates from Ohio State University, Kent State University, the University of Akron, and South Dakota State University. He was awarded the Grand Cross of the Royal Norwegian Order of Merit in November 2005.

A native of Ohio, Mr. Ong received both his undergraduate and Master’s degrees from Ohio State University and his law degree from Harvard University. Mr. Ong is married to Mary Lee Ong; they have three grown children.

100 People and Innovations that Shaped the Rubber Industry

We would love to have your input to help us determine the top 100 people and innovations that shaped our industry. To contribute to either or both lists, please complete this online form.

100 People

These individuals can be scientists, corporate executives, members of the Rubber Division or any person who has made a substantial contribution to our industry.

1. Robert William Thomson (1846) and John Boyd Dunlop (1889) received patents for the pneumatic tire.

2. Melvin Mooney invented the Mooney viscometer.

3. William B. Wiegand was the first scientist to propose a mechanism for the effect of fine fillers like carbon black.

4. Charles M. Knight taught the first semester-long course in rubber chemistry at The University of Akron in 1909.

5. Reverend Julius Arthur Nieuwland, CSC, whose work in acetylene chemistry provided the basis for the discovery of Neoprene rubber (Chloroprene).

100 Innovations

These innovations can be anything important that helped move our industry in a new direction or was previously unknown.

1. Charles Goodyear discovered sulfur vulcanization in 1839.

2. Thomas Hancock invented the "pickling machine" or rubber masticator in 1820.

3. Fernley Banbury patented the Banbury mixer in 1916.

4. Charles Macintosh patented his process for waterproofing fabrics in 1823.

5. Karl Ziegler and Giulio Natta received the Nobel prize in 1963 "for their discoveries in the field of the chemistry and technology of high polymers" (Ziegler-Natta catalysts).

Rubber Band Contest

The Rubber Division, ACS with The Akron Global Polymer Academy and The University of Akron is hosting the first-ever Rubber Band Contest for Young Inventors. Students (grades 5-8), with the help of a teacher or mentor from the Rubber Industry, can demonstrate their ingenuity by creating an invention that incorporates the use of rubber bands. More than $20,000 in prizes will be awarded! For all the details visit RubberBandContest.org.

Download the University of Akron News Release about the Rubber Band Contest.

Birthday Celebration

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

David L. Lawrence Convention Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

This two-hour even will replace the traditional Exhibitors' Reception. The 100th Birthday Bash will be a full blown celebration with cocktails, food and entertainment open to all exhibitors and attendees of the 2009 Rubber Expo.

Rubber Mirror: Reflections of the Rubber Division's First 100 Years

Now Available! Click here

Written by Henry J. Inman (Goldfinch Communications Inc.)

The Rubber Mirror documents the 100-year history (1909-2009) of the Rubber Division of the American Chemical Society Inc. through the lives of the many people who created the organization that exists today. "This book will honor past and present members, manufacturers and suppliers alike,” explained Ed Miller, Executive Director of the Rubber Division. “We are planning a launch of the book in Spring 2009, to kick-off our Centennial Celebration."

The book is written by Henry J. Inman, a former newspaper writer and corporate public relations executive with The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company. "This is indeed an honor to document the storied history of an organization that has been an integral and active participant in the tire and rubber industry,” said Inman. “I look forward to working with many people and organizations that have been and continue to be contributors to the Division."