Stephanie Kwolek
CHEMICAL ENGINEER (1923 - 2014)
Stephanie Kwolek was the inventor of the high
strength plastic Kevlar. Kwolek graduated
from Margaret Morrison Carnegie College with
a degree in chemistry. After graduation,
Kwolek continued her research working with
DuPont. This is where she discovered Kevlar,
developed over nine years of research. Kevlar
can be found in tyres and bulletproof vests
due to its great strength and lightweight
properties. She was awarded the National
Medal of Technology, The Perkin Medal and
the Howard N. Potts Medal for Engineering.
This is the highest award in American
industrial chemistry. She achieved a position
in the Nationals Inventors Hall of Fame in
1994.
Mary Anderson
AUTOMOBLIE INVENTOR (1866 - 1953)
At the start of the 20th century Mary Anderson
was in a streetcar in NYC, noticing how difficult
it was for the driver to keep his windshield
clean, he dangerously tried while in motion.
Anderson designed a windshield blade that
connected itself to the interior of a car, allowing
the driver to operate the windshield wiper from
inside the vehicle. She successfully applied for
a patent in 1903 and spent years trying to sell
this design, but was continually turned down,
with companies citing a lack of demand. She
lost hope in her product and, after 17 years,
the patent lapsed. By this time cars were
becoming more common, and Anderson's idea
gained traction among large corporations, who
were able to use the design without Anderson
gaining anything from it. So next time it rains,
and you can still see clearly to drive safely, say
a little thank you to Mary Anderson!
121