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- Title
- Interview with John Paul Ryan, 2020 May 7
- Date(s)
- 2020-05-07
- Contributor(s)
- Ryan, John Paul, 1953- (interviewee), Plasky, Joseph G. (interviewer)
- Description
-
Interviewer Joe Plasky asks the interviewee to describe their early life, education, and career history. During his interview, John Paul Ryan also goes into detail about the industrial chemistry research being done while he was at Savannah River. He also discusses his work upgrading the laboratory operations at Chambers Works and the impact his efforts had on the business.
- Collection ID
- Oral history interviews with former employees of DuPont Company's Textile Fibers Department (Accession 2010.215)
- Hagley ID
- 2010215_20200507_Ryan
- Collection
- Oral history interviews with former employees of DuPont Company's Textile Fibers Department
- Title
- Interview with Peter Szanto, 2020 May 5
- Date(s)
- 2020-05-05
- Contributor(s)
- Szanto, Peter (interviewee), Plasky, Joseph G. (interviewer)
- Description
-
Interviewer Joe Plasky asks the interviewee to describe their early life, education, and career history. During his interview, Peter Szanto provides a technological and business overview of all the DuPont fibers sold into the tire market. He also discusses his work in Dacron and particularly the specialty fibers of Thermax and Coolmax. He details how Coolmax was given the marketing attention while Thermax received limited marketing. He provides his perspective on the marketing surrounding...
Show moreInterviewer Joe Plasky asks the interviewee to describe their early life, education, and career history. During his interview, Peter Szanto provides a technological and business overview of all the DuPont fibers sold into the tire market. He also discusses his work in Dacron and particularly the specialty fibers of Thermax and Coolmax. He details how Coolmax was given the marketing attention while Thermax received limited marketing. He provides his perspective on the marketing surrounding these products and comments on the Lycra business.
Show less - Collection ID
- Oral history interviews with former employees of DuPont Company's Textile Fibers Department (Accession 2010.215)
- Hagley ID
- 2010215_20200505_Szanto
- Collection
- Oral history interviews with former employees of DuPont Company's Textile Fibers Department
- Title
- Interview with Lynn Bell, 2020 April 29
- Date(s)
- 2020-04-29
- Contributor(s)
- Bell, Lynn, 1940- (interviewee), Plasky, Joseph G. (interviewer)
- Description
-
Interviewer Joe Plasky asks the interviewee to describe their early life, education, and career history. During his interview, Lynn Bell describes Kevlar small volume product development and how he was able to thrive in the high-tech Kevlar product development despite not having a college degree. He discusses glove and ballistic vest development in detail. He also describes the effort to commercialize nega-stat, including unsuccessful attempts to get the product into the women’s intimate...
Show moreInterviewer Joe Plasky asks the interviewee to describe their early life, education, and career history. During his interview, Lynn Bell describes Kevlar small volume product development and how he was able to thrive in the high-tech Kevlar product development despite not having a college degree. He discusses glove and ballistic vest development in detail. He also describes the effort to commercialize nega-stat, including unsuccessful attempts to get the product into the women’s intimate apparel and bedding businesses.
Show less - Collection ID
- Oral history interviews with former employees of DuPont Company's Textile Fibers Department (Accession 2010.215)
- Hagley ID
- 2010215_20200429_Bell
- Collection
- Oral history interviews with former employees of DuPont Company's Textile Fibers Department
- Title
- Interview with Caryl Huffaker, 2020 April 20
- Date(s)
- 2020-04-20
- Contributor(s)
- Huffaker, Caryl Entwistle (interviewee), Plasky, Joseph G. (interviewer)
- Description
-
Interviewer Joe Plasky asks the interviewee to describe their early life, education, and career history. During her interview, Caryl Huffaker details the targeting marketing efforts in DuPont’s Product Information to promote relatively new products. She describes the marketing tools the company employed to reach female consumers during the 1950s. She details the product show in Atlantic City and the traveling shows with which she was involved.
- Collection ID
- Oral history interviews with former employees of DuPont Company's Textile Fibers Department (Accession 2010.215)
- Hagley ID
- 2010215_20200420_Huffaker
- Collection
- Oral history interviews with former employees of DuPont Company's Textile Fibers Department
- Title
- Interview with William "Bill" Huffaker, 2020 April 19
- Date(s)
- 2020-04-19
- Contributor(s)
- Huffaker, William Bruce (interviewee), Plasky, Joseph G. (interviewer)
- Description
-
In his interview, William "Bill" Huffaker discusses the conditions in the DuPont Martinsville, Virginia, plant in the 1940s and 1950s. He details his involvement in the Dacron startup, the hosiery business in its heyday, and later his participation in the cordage business.
DuPont had built the plant in the early 1940s to produce hosiery yarns, and Huffaker’s father was an employee there. Huffaker describes the town and how it handled the influx of DuPont employees, commenting that it was a...
Show moreIn his interview, William "Bill" Huffaker discusses the conditions in the DuPont Martinsville, Virginia, plant in the 1940s and 1950s. He details his involvement in the Dacron startup, the hosiery business in its heyday, and later his participation in the cordage business.
DuPont had built the plant in the early 1940s to produce hosiery yarns, and Huffaker’s father was an employee there. Huffaker describes the town and how it handled the influx of DuPont employees, commenting that it was a small town with limited industry and was ill-equipped to handle the influx. As a result, the company built new housing for employees. He also describes the conditions there during World War II, remembering barbed wire fencing, armed guards, search lights, and air wardens.
He then describes his early career with DuPont and the Dacron startup at both the Seaford, Delaware, and Kinston, North Carolina, sites.
He then goes into detail about the hosiery business, giving an overview from the end of World War II to the present day. He describes business strategies and consolidation of the companies in the business. [Note from interviewer: Ron Steele’s interview picks up the hosiery history with a short time gap between the two interviews.] He also describes his later work in Industrial Fibers working on cordage.
Show less - Collection ID
- Oral history interviews with former employees of DuPont Company's Textile Fibers Department (Accession 2010.215)
- Hagley ID
- 2010215_20200419_Huffaker
- Collection
- Oral history interviews with former employees of DuPont Company's Textile Fibers Department
- Title
- Interview with Jeff Rossy, 2020 April 18
- Date(s)
- 2020-04-18
- Contributor(s)
- Rossy, Jeff, 1958- (interviewee), Plasky, Joseph G. (interviewer)
- Description
-
Interviewer Joe Plasky asks the interviewee to describe their early life, education, and career history. During his interview, Jeff Rossy shows how DuPont often had employees take varied assignments as a way to develop the company’s management teams. He describes each business he was involved with, showing the progression and training opportunities that DuPont made available to its engineers at the time. As part of his description of this work with the special industrial nylon unit, he...
Show moreInterviewer Joe Plasky asks the interviewee to describe their early life, education, and career history. During his interview, Jeff Rossy shows how DuPont often had employees take varied assignments as a way to develop the company’s management teams. He describes each business he was involved with, showing the progression and training opportunities that DuPont made available to its engineers at the time. As part of his description of this work with the special industrial nylon unit, he discusses aspects of shoe sewing thread and blue jeans business he encountered. He also gives his perspective on efforts to use Lycra in shoes.
Show less - Collection ID
- Oral history interviews with former employees of DuPont Company's Textile Fibers Department (Accession 2010.215)
- Hagley ID
- 2010215_20200418_Rossy
- Collection
- Oral history interviews with former employees of DuPont Company's Textile Fibers Department
- Title
- Interview with Steve Griffith, 2020 April 2
- Date(s)
- 2020-04-02
- Contributor(s)
- Griffith, Steve, 1950- (interviewee), Plasky, Joseph G. (interviewer)
- Description
-
Interviewer Joe Plasky asks the interviewee to describe their early life, education, and career history. During his interview, Steve Griffith discusses joining flooring systems after the operations’ heyday, about five years after the introduction of Stainmaster. He details an effort with the Engineering Department to find a step-change technology and a forward integration of the business to the consumer. He provides his perspective as to why these efforts were unsuccessful and discusses the...
Show moreInterviewer Joe Plasky asks the interviewee to describe their early life, education, and career history. During his interview, Steve Griffith discusses joining flooring systems after the operations’ heyday, about five years after the introduction of Stainmaster. He details an effort with the Engineering Department to find a step-change technology and a forward integration of the business to the consumer. He provides his perspective as to why these efforts were unsuccessful and discusses the state of the flooring business both before and after the sale to Koch Industries.
Show less - Collection ID
- Oral history interviews with former employees of DuPont Company's Textile Fibers Department (Accession 2010.215)
- Hagley ID
- 2010215_20200402_Griffith
- Collection
- Oral history interviews with former employees of DuPont Company's Textile Fibers Department
- Title
- Interview with Paul Pearlman, 2020 March 31
- Date(s)
- 2020-03-31
- Contributor(s)
- Pearlman, Paul, 1955- (interviewee), Plasky, Joseph G. (interviewer)
- Description
-
Interviewer Joe Plasky asks the interviewee to describe their early life, education, and career history. During his interview, Paul Pearlman discusses the many technical efforts at Seaford that he and others undertook in prior to the introduction of Stainmaster. He also details how the carpet yarn business made a significant effort to produce and market a polypropylene-based yarn. He also discusses the DuPont attempt at recycling carpet yarns and a technological effort to produce carpet via a...
Show moreInterviewer Joe Plasky asks the interviewee to describe their early life, education, and career history. During his interview, Paul Pearlman discusses the many technical efforts at Seaford that he and others undertook in prior to the introduction of Stainmaster. He also details how the carpet yarn business made a significant effort to produce and market a polypropylene-based yarn. He also discusses the DuPont attempt at recycling carpet yarns and a technological effort to produce carpet via a new process which was codenamed "LUCY." He provides his perspective as to why this project eventually failed. He identifies the production facilities for carpet yarn. He also describes his involvement with the "Nylon Enterprise," DuPont’s effort to move all nylon business efforts under one management.
Show less - Collection ID
- Oral history interviews with former employees of DuPont Company's Textile Fibers Department (Accession 2010.215)
- Hagley ID
- 2010215_20200331_Pearlman
- Collection
- Oral history interviews with former employees of DuPont Company's Textile Fibers Department
- Title
- Interview with Ken Takvorian, 2020 March 16
- Date(s)
- 2020-03-16
- Contributor(s)
- Takvorian, Ken, 1944?- (interviewee), Plasky, Joseph G. (interviewer)
- Description
-
Interviewer Joe Plasky asks the interviewee to describe their early life, education, and career history. During his interview, Ken Takvorian describes his work in nylon end use research, relating details about multiple technical fabrics, including Qiana, and their development. He comments on the business objectives surrounding this work, particularly surrounding the resources required to sustain Qiana development efforts. He also details his successful efforts to turn around the industrial...
Show moreInterviewer Joe Plasky asks the interviewee to describe their early life, education, and career history. During his interview, Ken Takvorian describes his work in nylon end use research, relating details about multiple technical fabrics, including Qiana, and their development. He comments on the business objectives surrounding this work, particularly surrounding the resources required to sustain Qiana development efforts. He also details his successful efforts to turn around the industrial nylon and Cordura businesses. He relates his work with the Seaman Corporation. He details the failed efforts to develop "Next Generation Industrial Yarn" (NGI). He also relates the development of industrial nylon staple.
Show less - Collection ID
- Oral history interviews with former employees of DuPont Company's Textile Fibers Department (Accession 2010.215)
- Hagley ID
- 2010215_20200316_Takvorian
- Collection
- Oral history interviews with former employees of DuPont Company's Textile Fibers Department
- Title
- Interview with Tim Wilson, 2020 February 26
- Date(s)
- 2020-02-26
- Contributor(s)
- Wilson, Timothy (interviewee), Plasky, Joseph G. (interviewer)
- Description
-
Interviewer Joe Plasky asks the interviewee to describe their early life, education, and career history. During his interview, Tim Wilson emphasizes his efforts to control his own career trajectory at DuPont. He also comments on the Gemini effort to redesign the nylon business. Gemini was an external consulting group, and the attempt brought mixed results.
- Collection ID
- Oral history interviews with former employees of DuPont Company's Textile Fibers Department (Accession 2010.215)
- Hagley ID
- 2010215_20200226_Wilson
- Collection
- Oral history interviews with former employees of DuPont Company's Textile Fibers Department
- Title
- Interview with Anthony "Tony" Cardinal, 2020 February 17
- Date(s)
- 2020-02-17
- Contributor(s)
- Cardinal, Tony (Anthony John), 1934- (interviewee), Plasky, Joseph G. (interviewer)
- Description
-
Interviewer Joe Plasky asks the interviewee to describe their early life, education, and career history. During his interview, Tony Cardinal details his perspective on the approach that DuPont took with highly technological, yet small, business units during his time working with Teflon. He also discusses Vespel, an engineered plastic directly marketed as a manufactured product rather than as an ingredient. He then details his role leading the spunbonded business through difficult financial...
Show moreInterviewer Joe Plasky asks the interviewee to describe their early life, education, and career history. During his interview, Tony Cardinal details his perspective on the approach that DuPont took with highly technological, yet small, business units during his time working with Teflon. He also discusses Vespel, an engineered plastic directly marketed as a manufactured product rather than as an ingredient. He then details his role leading the spunbonded business through difficult financial times. He analyzes the business aspects of various spunbonded products at the times, describes the manufacturing process, and the problems that arose in operations. He also describes the Departmental Quality improvement program he began, which was awarded twelfth place in the National Quality Award Program. He also gives his perspective on the declining state of the Lycra market.
Show less - Collection ID
- Oral history interviews with former employees of DuPont Company's Textile Fibers Department (Accession 2010.215)
- Hagley ID
- 2010215_20200217_Cardinal
- Collection
- Oral history interviews with former employees of DuPont Company's Textile Fibers Department
- Title
- Carlene West interview
- Date(s)
- 2020-02-10
- Contributor(s)
- West, Carlene (interviewee), Hologic (Firm) (associated name), Spohn, Benjamin (interviewer)
- Description
-
In this interview, Carlene West describes her career with Hologic working as a consultant and in the accounting and finances division. West details some of the ways that the 2008 recession impacted Hologic and her involvement with the development of the medical imaging and mammography focus at Hologic.
- Collection ID
- Hologic Medical Imaging oral histories (Accession 2020.201)
- Hagley ID
- 2020201_West_Carlene_20200210
- Collection
- Hologic Digital Mammography oral histories
- Title
- Carlene West interview [transcript]
- Date(s)
- 2020-02-10
- Contributor(s)
- West, Carlene (interviewee), Hologic (Firm) (associated name), Spohn, Benjamin (interviewer)
- Description
-
In this interview, Carlene West describes her career with Hologic working as a consultant and in the accounting and finances division. West details some of the ways that the 2008 recession impacted Hologic and her involvement with the development of the medical imaging and mammography focus at Hologic.
- Collection ID
- Hologic Medical Imaging oral histories (Accession 2020.201)
- Hagley ID
- 2020201_West_Carlene_20200210_transcript
- Collection
- Hologic Digital Mammography oral histories
- Title
- Interview with Joe Kurian, 2020 January 22
- Date(s)
- 2020-01-22
- Contributor(s)
- Kurian, Joseph V. (interviewee), Plasky, Joseph G. (interviewer)
- Description
-
Interviewer Joe Plasky asks the interviewee to describe their early life, education, and career history.
- Collection ID
- Oral history interviews with former employees of DuPont Company's Textile Fibers Department (Accession 2010.215)
- Hagley ID
- 2010215_20200122_Kurian
- Collection
- Oral history interviews with former employees of DuPont Company's Textile Fibers Department
- Title
- Interview with Robert "Bob" George, 2020 January 22
- Date(s)
- 2020-01-22
- Contributor(s)
- George, Robert Thornton, 1946- (interviewee), Plasky, Joseph G. (interviewer)
- Description
-
During his interview, Bob George first details his father’s career. His father was a DuPont employee in the Textile Fibers Department during the 1940s through the 1960s. He then describes his own career, which started in the Industrial Engineering (IE) section at Martinsville, and he details the IE organization within plant’s operations. He comments that the 30 engineers in the section were responsible for cost savings, cost analysis, and labor. IE held significant manufacturing control at...
Show moreDuring his interview, Bob George first details his father’s career. His father was a DuPont employee in the Textile Fibers Department during the 1940s through the 1960s. He then describes his own career, which started in the Industrial Engineering (IE) section at Martinsville, and he details the IE organization within plant’s operations. He comments that the 30 engineers in the section were responsible for cost savings, cost analysis, and labor. IE held significant manufacturing control at the plant. He then describes the spinning operations in type 8B and the people he encountered in the late 1970s after he transferred to manufacturing.
He then details the approach the plant took when a major sales downturn created a labor surplus in 1976 and 1977. This process became the "X-Y" system, and George credits the process as one of the primary factors in the plant’s survival. George names the people involved in the process and remarks that it was also implemented at the Waynesboro and Richmond plants in Virginia. He then discusses the progression and labor systems in place at DuPont’s largescale plants and nylon manufacturing processes.
He describes his later role as market manager, outlining the warp knit domestic market and the creation of a new market and joint venture in Japan. He also details his work in benchmarking and his experience as a Fellow in Residence as part of a DuPont partnership with Penn State University.
Show less - Collection ID
- Oral history interviews with former employees of DuPont Company's Textile Fibers Department (Accession 2010.215)
- Hagley ID
- 2010215_20200122_George
- Collection
- Oral history interviews with former employees of DuPont Company's Textile Fibers Department
- Title
- Jeff Yorker interview
- Date(s)
- 2020-01-16
- Contributor(s)
- Yorker, Jeffrey, 1954 (interviewee), Hologic (Firm) (associated name), Spohn, Benjamin (interviewer)
- Description
-
In this interview, Jeff Yorker talks about his career with DuPont, AGFA, and Hologic and his work in the diagnostic medical business. Yorker discusses the many projects he worked with including the development of Selenia, a digital mammography system. Yorker walks through the process of research and development for each of these projects including, patenting and work with the FDA. He also spends a large part of the interview comparing his work with DuPont and Hologic.
- Collection ID
- Hologic Medical Imaging oral histories (Accession 2020.201)
- Hagley ID
- 2020201_Yorker_Jeff_20200116
- Collection
- Hologic Digital Mammography oral histories
- Title
- Jeff Yorker interview [transcript]
- Date(s)
- 2020-01-16
- Contributor(s)
- Yorker, Jeffrey, 1954 (interviewee), Hologic (Firm) (associated name), Spohn, Benjamin (interviewer)
- Description
-
In this interview, Jeff Yorker talks about his career with DuPont, AGFA, and Hologic and his work in the diagnostic medical business. Yorker discusses the many projects he worked with including the development of Selenia, a digital mammography system. Yorker walks through the process of research and development for each of these projects including, patenting and work with the FDA. He also spends a large part of the interview comparing his work with DuPont and Hologic.
- Collection ID
- Hologic Medical Imaging oral histories (Accession 2020.201)
- Hagley ID
- 2020201_Yorker_Jeff_20200116_transcript
- Collection
- Hologic Digital Mammography oral histories
- Title
- Jim Culley interview
- Date(s)
- 2019-09-19
- Contributor(s)
- Culley, Jim, 1944- (interviewee), Hologic (Firm) (associated name), Spohn, Benjamin (interviewer)
- Description
-
In this interview, Jim Culley details his career in marketing at DuPont and Hologic. Culley talks in depth about Hologic's decision to work with medical imaging and mammography, and how his role in marketing was shaped by this. In terms of marketing at Hologic, Culley discusses his work with the media, including Good Morning America and the New York Times. Culley also details the work he had to do to convince doctors and hospitals to use Hologic's mammography system, and how the FDA, foreign...
Show moreIn this interview, Jim Culley details his career in marketing at DuPont and Hologic. Culley talks in depth about Hologic's decision to work with medical imaging and mammography, and how his role in marketing was shaped by this. In terms of marketing at Hologic, Culley discusses his work with the media, including Good Morning America and the New York Times. Culley also details the work he had to do to convince doctors and hospitals to use Hologic's mammography system, and how the FDA, foreign regulatory boards, insurance companies, and legislative acts all impacted this process.
Show less - Collection ID
- Hologic Medical Imaging oral histories (Accession 2020.201)
- Hagley ID
- 2020201_Culley_James_20190919
- Collection
- Hologic Digital Mammography oral histories
- Title
- Jim Culley interview [transcript]
- Date(s)
- 2019-09-19
- Contributor(s)
- Culley, Jim, 1944- (interviewee), Hologic (Firm) (associated name), Spohn, Benjamin (interviewer)
- Description
-
In this interview, Jim Culley details his career in marketing at DuPont and Hologic. Culley talks in depth about Hologic's decision to work with medical imaging and mammography, and how his role in marketing was shaped by this. In terms of marketing at Hologic, Culley discusses his work with the media, including Good Morning America and the New York Times. Culley also details the work he had to do to convince doctors and hospitals to use Hologic's mammography system, and how the FDA, foreign...
Show moreIn this interview, Jim Culley details his career in marketing at DuPont and Hologic. Culley talks in depth about Hologic's decision to work with medical imaging and mammography, and how his role in marketing was shaped by this. In terms of marketing at Hologic, Culley discusses his work with the media, including Good Morning America and the New York Times. Culley also details the work he had to do to convince doctors and hospitals to use Hologic's mammography system, and how the FDA, foreign regulatory boards, insurance companies, and legislative acts all impacted this process.
Show less - Collection ID
- Hologic Medical Imaging oral histories (Accession 2020.201)
- Hagley ID
- 2020201_Culley_James_20190919_transcript
- Collection
- Hologic Digital Mammography oral histories
- Title
- Interview with Ken White, part 2, 2019 June 27
- Date(s)
- 2019-06-27
- Contributor(s)
- White, Ken, 1923-2020 (interviewee), Spohn, Benjamin (interviewer), Strunk, Nicole (interviewer), Eleutherian Mills-Hagley Foundation (originator)
- Description
-
Part 2 of 2. In this interview, Ken White continues to describe his career as an industrial designer on a project by project basis. Most of the projects he describes are bookstores on university campuses and military bases. He provides an in-depth analysis of the Boston university bookstore project. He also talks about his work designing Duke University's Gothic Bookstore.
- Collection ID
- Oral history interview with Ken White (Accession 2023.203)
- Hagley ID
- 2023203_20190627_White_interview
- Collection
- Oral history collections gallery
- Title
- Interview with Ken White, part 1, 2019 June 26
- Date(s)
- 2019-06-26
- Contributor(s)
- White, Ken, 1923-2020 (interviewee), Spohn, Benjamin (interviewer), Strunk, Nicole (interviewer), Eleutherian Mills-Hagley Foundation (originator)
- Description
-
Part 1 of 2. In this interview Ken White discusses the early parts of his life and career as an industrial designer. White talks about his military service, his interest in design and how he learned his trade. He also talks about his early career contacts with Raymond Loewy. White goes on to describe his creative process and approach to design. He does this by describing several different projects in detail.
- Collection ID
- Oral history interview with Ken White (Accession 2023.203)
- Hagley ID
- 2023203_20190626_White_interview
- Collection
- Oral history collections gallery
- Title
- Interview with Donald and Artie Needham
- Date(s)
- 2019-06-24
- Contributor(s)
- Spohn, Benjamin (interviewer), Strunk, Nicole (interviewer), Needham, Donald (interviewee), Needham, Arthur (interviewee)
- Description
-
In their interview, father and son Donald "Buster" and Arthur Needham explain their individual and familial involvements in the mushroom industry. D. Needham gives an overview of the industry beginning in the 1960s; he references international competition with new mushroom growers at the time in East Asia. A. Needham talks about the health concerns that arose out of the smell that comes with mushroom composting that is, while potent\u2014harmless, and how that affected the farm's relationship...
Show moreIn their interview, father and son Donald "Buster" and Arthur Needham explain their individual and familial involvements in the mushroom industry. D. Needham gives an overview of the industry beginning in the 1960s; he references international competition with new mushroom growers at the time in East Asia. A. Needham talks about the health concerns that arose out of the smell that comes with mushroom composting that is, while potent\u2014harmless, and how that affected the farm's relationship with the local residential community. He speaks about their farm's interaction with composters from abroad, many coming from the Netherlands and how they implemented European technologies in their composting process. Both A. and D. Needham speak at length about the difficulties that the industry has with the labor pool and the shifts within it. With the large portion of the current labor pool being Mexican immigrants, the pair also speak about immigration and immigration reform.
Show less - Collection ID
- Oral history interviews on cultivated mushroom industry (2018.219)
- Hagley ID
- Needham_Donald_and_Artie_20190624
- Collection
- Oral history interviews on cultivated mushroom industry
- Title
- Interview with Robert "Bob" Shellenbarger, 2019 April 26
- Date(s)
- 2019-04-26
- Contributor(s)
- Shellenbarger, Robert, 1936- (interviewee), Plasky, Joseph G. (interviewer)
- Description
-
In his interview, Robert Shellenbarger discusses his career as an industrial chemist with DuPont's textile fibers division, notably his contributions to the Tyvek and STAINMASTER manufacturing processes. Shellenbarger begins his interview discussing his early life and education in California. He worked his way through the College of the Pacific by milking cows for a dairy and was encouraged to study physical chemistry at the University of North Carolina by the chairman of the chemistry...
Show moreIn his interview, Robert Shellenbarger discusses his career as an industrial chemist with DuPont's textile fibers division, notably his contributions to the Tyvek and STAINMASTER manufacturing processes. Shellenbarger begins his interview discussing his early life and education in California. He worked his way through the College of the Pacific by milking cows for a dairy and was encouraged to study physical chemistry at the University of North Carolina by the chairman of the chemistry department at the College of the Pacific. He mentions taking a summer job with the Army in Washington, D.C., before starting his PhD studies.
After describing his first role at DuPont as a chemist assigned to Reemay, Shellenbarger goes into great detail about his work with Tyvek in Richmond. He describes how he made improvements to the manufacturing process after observing that the plant produced better product on rainy days. He also describes the lifetime test he developed for Tyvek and how he fixed the problems which were observed during the test. He details making further improvements to the Tyvek spinning process by solving the issue of the target plate regularly becoming dirty and shorting out.
Shellenbarger then describes conducting flammability tests for the Dacron End Use research group, in which he improved the high speed weaving process by changing the modulus point to be closer to the breaking point of cotton. He then relates his perspective on STAINMASTER's development in the 1980s, describing the various ways in which the team addressed issues such as UV stability and continuous dyeing. He also comments on marketing and patent-filing efforts.
He ends the interview by describing his later career. He includes an anecdote about being a speaker at a seminar in Africa, and he mentions his final role working with DuPont's joint venture with Turkish conglomerate, Sabanci Holding Co.
Show less - Collection ID
- Oral history interviews with former employees of DuPont Company's Textile Fibers Department (Accession 2010.215)
- Hagley ID
- 2010215_20190426_Shellenbarger
- Collection
- Oral history interviews with former employees of DuPont Company's Textile Fibers Department
- Title
- Interview with Charles "Chuck" DeMirjian, 2019 March 27
- Date(s)
- 2019-03-27
- Contributor(s)
- DeMirjian, Charles H., 1925- (interviewee), Plasky, Joseph G. (interviewer)
- Description
-
This interview complements an earlier oral history conducted by Glenn Porter in 1997 (Accession 2269). In this interview, Charles DeMirjian discusses his role in the STAINMASTER carpet campaign as part of the Corporate Communications and Advertising group at DuPont. DeMirjian claims to have originated the "swizzle stick" demonstration technique, which was used to market the carpet directly to consumers at the retail level.
- Collection ID
- Oral history interviews with former employees of DuPont Company's Textile Fibers Department (Accession 2010.215)
- Hagley ID
- 2010215_20190327_DeMirjian
- Collection
- Oral history interviews with former employees of DuPont Company's Textile Fibers Department
- Title
- Interview with Sonny Pizzini
- Date(s)
- 2019-03-08
- Contributor(s)
- Spohn, Benjamin (interviewer), Pizzini, Leone (interviewee)
- Description
-
In this interview Pizzini talks about his involvement in all aspects of the mushroom industry. Pizzini explains that his father came to the United States in 1930 and started his own mushroom farm shortly thereafter. He says that he still does some consulting with his company, Leone Pizzini and Son. In addition to talking about his business, Pizzini talks about growing mushrooms and producing mushroom compost. He also talks about his personal involvement in several mushroom industry related...
Show moreIn this interview Pizzini talks about his involvement in all aspects of the mushroom industry. Pizzini explains that his father came to the United States in 1930 and started his own mushroom farm shortly thereafter. He says that he still does some consulting with his company, Leone Pizzini and Son. In addition to talking about his business, Pizzini talks about growing mushrooms and producing mushroom compost. He also talks about his personal involvement in several mushroom industry related trade organizations and Pennsylvania State University's annual short course on mushrooms.
Show less - Collection ID
- Oral history interviews on cultivated mushroom industry (2018.219)
- Hagley ID
- Pizzini_Sonny_20190308
- Collection
- Oral history interviews on cultivated mushroom industry