The American Chemical Society is the world's largest scientific society and its Akron Section is one of the society's 188 local sections. The ACS Akron Section serves Summit, Stark, and Portage counties, including the cities of Akron, Canton, and Kent, in the state of Ohio.
Synthetic Rubber
One of the most noteworthy accomplishments of the ACS Akron Section in recent years was achieving the status of National Historic Chemical Landmark for the "United States Synthetic Rubber Program, 1939 to 1945". Landmark status recognizes the research, development, and early production of synthetic general-purpose rubber. The dedication of the landmark was held on August 29, 1998 at the University of Akron. Roger Crawford and Charles Rader were the two Co-Chairs of the Synthetic Rubber Historic Landmark Committee, and were instrumental in achieving this success. Roger represented the ACS Akron Section, which was a co-sponsor of the landmark. Charles, in addition to being a member of the section, represented the ACS Rubber Division, which was the other co-sponsor of the landmark.
At the dedication, a permanent plaque was unveiled that marked the event. The plaque is prominently mounted in a monument on the campus of the University of Akron, on the north side of the polymer science building not far from the performing arts hall. Five identical plaques were presented to the honored companies or their successors: Bridgestone/Firestone, The BFGoodrich Company, The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company, Exxon Chemical Company (a division of Exxon ), and Uniroyal Chemical Company (a subsidiary of Crompton and Knowles).
The inscription on the landmark plaque reads as follows. When the natural rubber supply from Southeast Asia was cut off at the beginning of World War II, the United States and its allies faced the loss of a strategic material. With U.S. government sponsorship, a consortium of companies involved in rubber research and production united in a unique spirit of technical cooperation and dedication to produce a general-purpose synthetic rubber, GR-S (Government Rubber - Styrene), on a commercial scale. In Akron and other U.S. locations, these companies, in collaboration with a network of researchers in numerous government, academic, and industrial laboratories, developed and manufactured in record time enough synthetic rubber to meet the needs of the U.S. and its allies during World War II: The Firestone Tire and Rubber Company, The B.F.Goodrich Company, The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company, Standard Oil Company of New Jersey, United States Rubber Company. American Chemical Society, August 29, 1998.
Congratulations go to Roger Crawford and Charles Rader for their work on both the original steering committee that sought landmark status as well as the dedication committee that planned the ceremony. Congratulations also go to the other members of the ACS Akron Section that served on the Synthetic Rubber Historic Landmark Committee: Lu Ann Blazeff, Robert Fawcett, Benjamin Kastein, Frank Kelly, Anoop Krishen, and Joan Long.
Roger Crawford and Ann Bolek provided images from the dedication ceremony. Please click on the links below to view the images.
Image 01
- Tom Brett of Uniroyal Chemical, Dennis Dick of Goodyear, Victoria Haynes of BFGoodrich, Geurh Bohn of Bridgestone/Firestone, Marion Ruebel of the U of Akron, and Ray Nesbitt of Exxon Chemical (from left to right).
Image 02
- Roger Crawford, Co-Chair of the landmark committee, representing the ACS Akron Section.
Image 03
- Charles Rader, Co-Chair of the landmark committee, representing the ACS Rubber Division.
Image 04
- Chuck Galloway, the Master of Ceremonies.
Image 05
- Paul Walter, President of the American Chemical Society.
Image 06
- Marion Ruebel, President of the U of Akron.
Image 07
- Tom Sawyer, U.S. Representative from Ohio (on right) with Chuck Galloway.
Image 08
- ? Linstedt, ? ?, Coe Wadelin (in back), Ken Scott, Fred Betzhold, Dennis Dick, Jim D'Ianni, and ? ? (from left to right), researchers on the project.
Image 09
- The plaque and monument commemorating the landmark.
Image 10
- The permanent location, outside the north face of the U of Akron polymer science building, near the circular driveway.
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