Gilmore Schjeldahl
Encyclopedia
Gilmore Tilmen Schjeldahl (June 1, 1912 March 10, 2002) was an American
businessman and inventor in plastics, adhesives, and circuitry. He was awarded 16 US patents and may be best known for inventing the plastic-lined airsickness bag
.
to Norwegian immigrants. He grew up in Northwood, North Dakota
and did not graduate from high school, but took courses at North Dakota State College of Science
and North Dakota State University
before being drafted into the U.S. Army to serve during World War II
. Schjeldahl served in three battles with the 84th Division, including the Battle of the Bulge
, in which his actions were awarded with a Bronze Star
.
, where he began working with polyethylene
. Unable to get the material to seal to itself, he and his wife experimented on solutions at home, where they developed a hot knife-sealing process. He left Armour in 1946 and moved to Minneapolis, where he created a bag-making machine in his home. He used the machine to launch his first company, Herb-Shelly, Inc., in 1948. The company moved into a shop the next year in Farmington, Minnesota
, and eventually produced a variety of polyethylene packaging materials and plastic bag liners. By 1954, the company had $500,000 annual sales and 100 employees. The company started experimenting with lamination at this time, researching adhesives for a new DuPont
polymer called Mylar
. The company was also involved in the fabrication of a balloon for the Office of Naval Research at the University of Minnesota. In May 1954, Herb-Shelly was acquired by Brown & Bigelow
. Schjeldahl resigned and left the company on January 8, 1955.
On January 21, 1955, Schjeldahl began making plans for a new company to be located in the basement of the Medical Arts building in Northfield, Minnesota
. The company secured a contract in April 1955 to create atmospheric research balloons made with Mylar polyester film, held together with an adhesive system that Schjeldahl developed. On September 1, 1955, the G.T. Schjeldahl Company went public. In addition to balloons, the company manufactured bag-making machines and heat-sealing adhesive tape. Eventually the company began developing a line of adhesive tapes for polyester bonding called Schjel-Bond (GT100, GT200, GT300, and GT400).
The G. T. Schjeldahl Company received national fame for designing and building Echo I, a communications satellite. The company also made the laminate and adhesive materials for the Polaris missile
program. These environmental seals, which were called diaphragms, kept water out of the submarine until a missile was released. G. T. Schjeldahl Company products and technology using vacuum deposition
and lamination were used on the Pegasus satellite program
, putting the company into the vacuum deposition business.
The weakening economy in 1967 caused government supported research to decrease. Schjeldahl resigned as Chairman of the Board and started Giltech, a company which concerned itself primarily with making bottles through the blow molding process. The Giltech Company merged with another plastics company, Rainville, in 1972, and became Rainville, Inc. Eventually Rainville, Inc. merged with, and became, Universal Dynamics (UnaDyn). In 1970, Schjeldahl also created the Plastic Netting Machine Company. This company developed and produced devices for feeding and filling rigid plastic containers.
In 1978, Schjeldahl suffered a mild heart attack. During his recovery, he pondered techniques for opening up blocked arteries. This led to another business venture, the Cathedyne Corporation. Schjeldahl worked with his cardiologist on improving coronary angioplasty
catheters. The Cathedyne Corporation was sold to Angiomedics, Inc., a subsidiary of Pfizer
, in 1983.
In 2000, Sheldahl merged with International Flex Technologies, headquartered in New York.
, after battling Alzheimer's disease
for many years.
His business records are archived at the Elwyn B. Robinson Department of Special Collections at the University of North Dakota
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
businessman and inventor in plastics, adhesives, and circuitry. He was awarded 16 US patents and may be best known for inventing the plastic-lined airsickness bag
Airsickness bag
An airsickness bag is a small bag commonly provided to passengers on board airplanes and boats to collect and contain vomit in the event of motion sickness. Hovercraft-ferry operators and even train companies have also been known to supply bags...
.
Early life and education
Gilmore Tilmen Schjeldahl was born in Esmond, North DakotaEsmond, North Dakota
As of the census of 2000, there were 159 people, 78 households, and 42 families residing in the city. The population density was 352.8 people per square mile . There were 114 housing units at an average density of 253.0 per square mile . The racial makeup of the city was 94.97% White, 3.14% Native...
to Norwegian immigrants. He grew up in Northwood, North Dakota
Northwood, North Dakota
-External links:*...
and did not graduate from high school, but took courses at North Dakota State College of Science
North Dakota State College of Science
The North Dakota State College of Science is a 2-year public college in Wahpeton, North Dakota and part of the North Dakota University System...
and North Dakota State University
North Dakota State University
North Dakota State University of Agriculture and Applied Sciences, more commonly known as North Dakota State University , is a public university in Fargo, North Dakota. NDSU has about 14,000 students and it is the largest university in North Dakota based on full time students and land size...
before being drafted into the U.S. Army to serve during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. Schjeldahl served in three battles with the 84th Division, including the Battle of the Bulge
Battle of the Bulge
The Battle of the Bulge was a major German offensive , launched toward the end of World War II through the densely forested Ardennes mountain region of Wallonia in Belgium, hence its French name , and France and...
, in which his actions were awarded with a Bronze Star
Bronze Star Medal
The Bronze Star Medal is a United States Armed Forces individual military decoration that may be awarded for bravery, acts of merit, or meritorious service. As a medal it is awarded for merit, and with the "V" for valor device it is awarded for heroism. It is the fourth-highest combat award of the...
.
Career
Schjeldahl began his career at Armour and CompanyArmour and Company
Armour & Company was an American slaughterhouse and meatpacking company founded in Chicago, Illinois, in 1867 by the Armour brothers, led by Philip Danforth Armour. By 1880, the company was Chicago's most important business and helped make the city and its Union Stock Yards the center of the...
, where he began working with polyethylene
Polyethylene
Polyethylene or polythene is the most widely used plastic, with an annual production of approximately 80 million metric tons...
. Unable to get the material to seal to itself, he and his wife experimented on solutions at home, where they developed a hot knife-sealing process. He left Armour in 1946 and moved to Minneapolis, where he created a bag-making machine in his home. He used the machine to launch his first company, Herb-Shelly, Inc., in 1948. The company moved into a shop the next year in Farmington, Minnesota
Farmington, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 12,365 people, 4,169 households, and 3,255 families residing in the city. The population density was 986.0 people per square mile . There were 4,233 housing units at an average density of 337.5 per square mile . The racial makeup of the city was 95.62%...
, and eventually produced a variety of polyethylene packaging materials and plastic bag liners. By 1954, the company had $500,000 annual sales and 100 employees. The company started experimenting with lamination at this time, researching adhesives for a new DuPont
DuPont
E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company , commonly referred to as DuPont, is an American chemical company that was founded in July 1802 as a gunpowder mill by Eleuthère Irénée du Pont. DuPont was the world's third largest chemical company based on market capitalization and ninth based on revenue in 2009...
polymer called Mylar
PET film (biaxially oriented)
BoPET is a polyester film made from stretched polyethylene terephthalate and is used for its high tensile strength, chemical and dimensional stability, transparency, reflectivity, gas and aroma barrier properties and electrical insulation.A variety of companies manufacture boPET and other...
. The company was also involved in the fabrication of a balloon for the Office of Naval Research at the University of Minnesota. In May 1954, Herb-Shelly was acquired by Brown & Bigelow
Brown & Bigelow
Brown & Bigelow is a publishing company based in Saint Paul, Minnesota that produces advertising specialties, or promotional products, such as clocks, pens, cocktail spoons with corkscrew and cap-lifter, and advertising calendars...
. Schjeldahl resigned and left the company on January 8, 1955.
On January 21, 1955, Schjeldahl began making plans for a new company to be located in the basement of the Medical Arts building in Northfield, Minnesota
Northfield, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 17,147 people, 4,909 households, and 3,210 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,452.2 people per square mile . There were 5,119 housing units at an average density of 732.1 per square mile...
. The company secured a contract in April 1955 to create atmospheric research balloons made with Mylar polyester film, held together with an adhesive system that Schjeldahl developed. On September 1, 1955, the G.T. Schjeldahl Company went public. In addition to balloons, the company manufactured bag-making machines and heat-sealing adhesive tape. Eventually the company began developing a line of adhesive tapes for polyester bonding called Schjel-Bond (GT100, GT200, GT300, and GT400).
The G. T. Schjeldahl Company received national fame for designing and building Echo I, a communications satellite. The company also made the laminate and adhesive materials for the Polaris missile
UGM-27 Polaris
The Polaris missile was a two-stage solid-fuel nuclear-armed submarine-launched ballistic missile built during the Cold War by Lockheed Corporation of California for the United States Navy....
program. These environmental seals, which were called diaphragms, kept water out of the submarine until a missile was released. G. T. Schjeldahl Company products and technology using vacuum deposition
Vacuum deposition
Vacuum deposition is a family of processes used to deposit layers atom-by-atom or molecule-by-molecule at sub-atmospheric pressure on a solid surface. The layers may be as thin as one atom to millimeters thick . There may be multiple layers of different materials...
and lamination were used on the Pegasus satellite program
Pegasus satellite program
The Pegasus satellite program was a series of three American satellites launched in 1965 to study the frequency of micrometeorite impacts on spacecraft...
, putting the company into the vacuum deposition business.
The weakening economy in 1967 caused government supported research to decrease. Schjeldahl resigned as Chairman of the Board and started Giltech, a company which concerned itself primarily with making bottles through the blow molding process. The Giltech Company merged with another plastics company, Rainville, in 1972, and became Rainville, Inc. Eventually Rainville, Inc. merged with, and became, Universal Dynamics (UnaDyn). In 1970, Schjeldahl also created the Plastic Netting Machine Company. This company developed and produced devices for feeding and filling rigid plastic containers.
In 1978, Schjeldahl suffered a mild heart attack. During his recovery, he pondered techniques for opening up blocked arteries. This led to another business venture, the Cathedyne Corporation. Schjeldahl worked with his cardiologist on improving coronary angioplasty
Percutaneous coronary intervention
Percutaneous coronary intervention , commonly known as coronary angioplasty or simply angioplasty, is one therapeutic procedure used to treat the stenotic coronary arteries of the heart found in coronary heart disease. These stenotic segments are due to the build up of cholesterol-laden plaques...
catheters. The Cathedyne Corporation was sold to Angiomedics, Inc., a subsidiary of Pfizer
Pfizer
Pfizer, Inc. is an American multinational pharmaceutical corporation. The company is based in New York City, New York with its research headquarters in Groton, Connecticut, United States...
, in 1983.
In 2000, Sheldahl merged with International Flex Technologies, headquartered in New York.
Marriage and children
Gilmore and Charlene Hanson Schjeldahl were married for 61 years and had five children: Peter, Don, Ann, Peggy, and Mary.Death and afterward
Schjeldahl died on March 10, 2002 at his home in Lenox, MassachusettsLenox, Massachusetts
Lenox is a town in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. Set in Western Massachusetts, it is part of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 5,077 at the 2000 census. Where the town has a border with Stockbridge is the site of Tanglewood, summer...
, after battling Alzheimer's disease
Alzheimer's disease
Alzheimer's disease also known in medical literature as Alzheimer disease is the most common form of dementia. There is no cure for the disease, which worsens as it progresses, and eventually leads to death...
for many years.
His business records are archived at the Elwyn B. Robinson Department of Special Collections at the University of North Dakota
University of North Dakota
The University of North Dakota is a public university in Grand Forks, North Dakota, USA. Established by the Dakota Territorial Assembly in 1883, six years before the establishment of the state of North Dakota, UND is the oldest and largest university in the state and enrolls over 14,000 students. ...
.
Awards
- 1962: Alumni Achievement Award, North Dakota State University
- 1970: honorary D.Sc., North Dakota State University
- 1988 : inductee, North Dakota Entrepreneur Hall of Fame
- 1991: inductee, the Scandinavian-American Hall of Fame
- 1993: honorary doctorate, University of North Dakota