Lester Shubin
Encyclopedia
Lester D. Shubin was a researcher who developed Kevlar
for the use in ballistic vests. Kevlar's use in ballistic vests was later expanded for use in all types of personal armor
.
and graduated from South Philadelphia High School in 1943. He served in the U.S. Army during World War II
. After the war, Shubin worked as a chemist and joined the U.S. Department of Justice in 1971.
Shubin worked for many years at the National Institute of Justice ("NIJ"), the federal agency designated with research and development in the field of law enforcement technology. At least one history of the development of police technology notes that in its first 20 years, "efforts in technology research and development were to a considerable degree a one-person effort, that person being Lester Shubin, a chemist."
In 1966, Stephanie Kwolek
, a chemist working for E.I. DuPont de Nemours & Co., developed Kevlar; a strong, lightweight liquid polymer that can be spun into a fiber and woven into cloth. Kevlar was initially used as a replacement for steel-belting in tires, and later for use in ropes, gaskets, and automotive and aviation parts. In 1971, Shubin, who was then the Director of Science and Technology for the National Institute for Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice, suggested using Kevlar to replace nylon in bullet-proof vests. Prior to the introduction of Kevlar, flak jacket
s made of nylon had provided much more limited protection to users. Shubin later recalled how the idea developed: "We folded it over a couple of times and shot at it. The bullets didn't go through." Shubin received a $5 million grant to research the use of the fabric in bullet-proof vests.
In 1975, the federal government distributed 5,000 Kevlar vests to 15 police departments. In the first year of deployment, two police officers wearing the vests were shot with handguns and two others were attacked with knives. None of the assaulted officers suffered any serious injuries. The first instance of a Kevlar vest saving a police officer from a bullet occurred on December 23, 1975, when a Seattle police officer was shot in the chest during a grocery store robbery. Shubin later recalled travelling to Seattle to observe the results of the vest: "He was shot from only three feet away and he didn't even fall down, so the guy shot him again. We rushed out to Seattle to see him. All he had under the vest was two mean looking bruises."
In the 30-plus years since Shubin introduced the Kevlar bullet-proof vest, the vests have been credited with saving the lives of more than 3,000 law enforcement officers.
Shubin was also an early advocate of using bomb-sniffing dogs to find explosives. He recalled, "We learned that basically any dog could find explosives or drugs, even very small dogs like Chihuahuas, whose size could be an advantage. Who is going to look twice at someone in a fur coat carrying a dog? But that dog could smell a bomb as well as a German shepherd."
Shubin died of a heart attack on November 20, 2009 at the age of 84. Following Shubin's death, The Police News paid tribute to Shubin for the many lives he had saved through his development of the Kevlar vest:
Lester is survived by his wife, Zelda, his son, Harry B. Shubin, his daughter-in-law, Julie Shubin and his two grandchildren, Rachel and Michael Shubin.
Kevlar
Kevlar is the registered trademark for a para-aramid synthetic fiber, related to other aramids such as Nomex and Technora. Developed at DuPont in 1965, this high strength material was first commercially used in the early 1970s as a replacement for steel in racing tires...
for the use in ballistic vests. Kevlar's use in ballistic vests was later expanded for use in all types of personal armor
Personal armor
Personal armor is the whole of protecting clothing, designed to absorb and/or deflect slashing, bludgeoning, and penetrating attacks. They were historically used to protect soldiers, whereas today, they are also used to protect police forces, private citizens and private security guards or...
.
Life
Shubin was born in Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
and graduated from South Philadelphia High School in 1943. He served in the U.S. Army 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...
. After the war, Shubin worked as a chemist and joined the U.S. Department of Justice in 1971.
Shubin worked for many years at the National Institute of Justice ("NIJ"), the federal agency designated with research and development in the field of law enforcement technology. At least one history of the development of police technology notes that in its first 20 years, "efforts in technology research and development were to a considerable degree a one-person effort, that person being Lester Shubin, a chemist."
In 1966, Stephanie Kwolek
Stephanie Kwolek
Stephanie Louise Kwolek is a Polish-American chemist who invented poly-paraphenylene terephtalamide—better known as Kevlar. She was born in the Pittsburgh suburb of New Kensington, Pennsylvania. Kwolek has won numerous awards for her work in polymer chemistry.- Early life and education :Kwolek was...
, a chemist working for E.I. DuPont de Nemours & Co., developed Kevlar; a strong, lightweight liquid polymer that can be spun into a fiber and woven into cloth. Kevlar was initially used as a replacement for steel-belting in tires, and later for use in ropes, gaskets, and automotive and aviation parts. In 1971, Shubin, who was then the Director of Science and Technology for the National Institute for Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice, suggested using Kevlar to replace nylon in bullet-proof vests. Prior to the introduction of Kevlar, flak jacket
Flak jacket
thumb|300px|The two components of an obsolete British military flak vest. On the left, the nylon vest. On the right, the several layers of [[ballistic nylon]] that provide the actual protection...
s made of nylon had provided much more limited protection to users. Shubin later recalled how the idea developed: "We folded it over a couple of times and shot at it. The bullets didn't go through." Shubin received a $5 million grant to research the use of the fabric in bullet-proof vests.
In 1975, the federal government distributed 5,000 Kevlar vests to 15 police departments. In the first year of deployment, two police officers wearing the vests were shot with handguns and two others were attacked with knives. None of the assaulted officers suffered any serious injuries. The first instance of a Kevlar vest saving a police officer from a bullet occurred on December 23, 1975, when a Seattle police officer was shot in the chest during a grocery store robbery. Shubin later recalled travelling to Seattle to observe the results of the vest: "He was shot from only three feet away and he didn't even fall down, so the guy shot him again. We rushed out to Seattle to see him. All he had under the vest was two mean looking bruises."
In the 30-plus years since Shubin introduced the Kevlar bullet-proof vest, the vests have been credited with saving the lives of more than 3,000 law enforcement officers.
Shubin was also an early advocate of using bomb-sniffing dogs to find explosives. He recalled, "We learned that basically any dog could find explosives or drugs, even very small dogs like Chihuahuas, whose size could be an advantage. Who is going to look twice at someone in a fur coat carrying a dog? But that dog could smell a bomb as well as a German shepherd."
Shubin died of a heart attack on November 20, 2009 at the age of 84. Following Shubin's death, The Police News paid tribute to Shubin for the many lives he had saved through his development of the Kevlar vest:
"Many of us had the honor of meeting Lester D. Shubin during an event in Washington, DC. ... There are literally thousands of police officers alive today that can trace their survival back to Mr. Shubin's work. Please take a moment to remember the life of Lester D. Shubin, 1925 - 2009."
Lester is survived by his wife, Zelda, his son, Harry B. Shubin, his daughter-in-law, Julie Shubin and his two grandchildren, Rachel and Michael Shubin.