Rubber Division Kicks Off Centennial

The ACS Rubber Division will begin official recognition of its 100-year anniversary with a Centennial Celebration on Monday, May 4, at the John S. Knight Center, in Akron, Ohio. The honorary chairman and keynote speaker for the centennial celebration is the Honorable John D. Ong, past chairman of BFGoodrich and a distinguished leader in the business community, who served during 2001–05 as U.S. ambassador to Norway.

The May 4 event also will commemorate 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 during the 20th century. In 1988, the university established the world's first College of Polymer Science & Polymer Engineering, the largest academic program of its kind. The university's polymer researchers continue to open new frontiers in science and engineering through nanotechnology, biomaterials, and photonics.

As part of the joint celebration, the top 15 inventions from the Rubber Band Contest for Young Inventors will be on display throughout the evening. The Rubber Band Contest for children in grades 5–8, sponsored by Alliance Rubber, is hosted jointly by the Rubber Division, the University of Akron, and 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 chronicles the division through the lives of the many people who created it. The book was written by Henry J. Inman, a former newspaper writer and corporate public relations executive with Goodyear Tire & Rubber. For more information on the celebration and the availability of tickets, visit rubberdivision.org/100years.