Russell Games Slayter
Encyclopedia
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
engineer and inventor. He is best known for developing Fiberglass
Fiberglass
Glass fiber is a material consisting of numerous extremely fine fibers of glass.Glassmakers throughout history have experimented with glass fibers, but mass manufacture of glass fiber was only made possible with the invention of finer machine tooling...
.
Biography
Slayter was born in Argos, IndianaArgos, Indiana
Argos is a town in Green and Walnut townships, Marshall County, Indiana, United States. The population was 1,691 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Argos is located at ....
as Russell Games Slayter. He dropped Russell early in his life. He graduated from Argos High School in 1914, and from Western Military Academy (Alton, Illinois
Alton, Illinois
Alton is a city on the Mississippi River in Madison County, Illinois, United States, about north of St. Louis, Missouri. The population was 27,865 at the 2010 census. It is a part of the Metro-East region of the Greater St. Louis metropolitan area in Southern Illinois...
) in 1915. At age 20 he married Maude Marie Foor (1917). He graduated from Purdue University
Purdue University
Purdue University, located in West Lafayette, Indiana, U.S., is the flagship university of the six-campus Purdue University system. Purdue was founded on May 6, 1869, as a land-grant university when the Indiana General Assembly, taking advantage of the Morrill Act, accepted a donation of land and...
in 1921 with a Bachelor of Science
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
degree in Chemical Engineering.
Slayter was a registered professional engineer in the state of Ohio.
Career
Slayter joined Owens-IllinoisOwens-Illinois
Owens-Illinois Inc. is a Fortune 500 company that specializes in container glass products. It is one of the world's leading manufacturers of packaging products, holding the position of largest manufacturer of glass containers in North America, South America, Asia-Pacific and Europe...
Glass Co. (Toledo, Ohio
Toledo, Ohio
Toledo is the fourth most populous city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Lucas County. Toledo is in northwest Ohio, on the western end of Lake Erie, and borders the State of Michigan...
) in 1931, and began working on a commercial process for producing glass fibers. In 1938 he was named Vice-President, Research and Development, of the newly formed Owens Corning
Owens Corning
Owens Corning Corporation is the world's largest manufacturer of fiberglass and related products. It was formed in 1935 as a partnership between two major American glassworks, Corning Glass Works and Owens-Illinois. The company was spun off as a separate entity on November 1, 1938...
Fiberglass Corporation. He held that position until his retirement in December 1963.
Slayter served on the Materials Advisory Board of the United States National Research Council
United States National Research Council
The National Research Council of the USA is the working arm of the United States National Academies, carrying out most of the studies done in their names.The National Academies include:* National Academy of Sciences...
, and consulted on industrial applications for NASA
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
. He was also a member of the Board of Distinguished Consultants for the Ohio Society of Professional Engineers and the Advisory Counsel of the Patent, Trade Mark, and Copyright Foundation.
Slayter served as Director of Park National Bank
Park National Bank
The Park National Bank is the lead bank in the $5.5 billion Park National Corporation serving Ohio and Northern Kentucky. The bank has several affiliate banks, including: Fairfield National Bank; Park National Bank, Park National Bank: Southwest Ohio & Northern Kentucky; Farmers and Savings Bank;...
. He was a trustee of Denison University
Denison University
Denison University is private, coeducational, and residential college of liberal arts and sciences founded in 1831. It is located in Granville, Ohio, United States, approximately 30 miles east of Columbus, the state capital...
from 1959 until his death.
Honors and awards
On 29 September 1961, the Granville Technical Center (renamed Science and Technology Center in 1992) was dedicated to Games Slayter, to honor his more than 30 years of contributions to the glass fiber industry.Slayter was a Fellow or Member of:
- Society of Glass TechnologySociety of Glass TechnologyThe Society of Glass Technology is an organization for individuals and organizations with a professional interest in glass manufacture and usage...
(England) - American Association for the Advancement of ScienceAmerican Association for the Advancement of ScienceThe American Association for the Advancement of Science is an international non-profit organization with the stated goals of promoting cooperation among scientists, defending scientific freedom, encouraging scientific responsibility, and supporting scientific education and science outreach for the...
- American Institute of Chemists, the American Ceramics Society
- American Chemical SocietyAmerican Chemical SocietyThe American Chemical Society is a scientific society based in the United States that supports scientific inquiry in the field of chemistry. Founded in 1876 at New York University, the ACS currently has more than 161,000 members at all degree-levels and in all fields of chemistry, chemical...
- American Institute of Chemical EngineersAmerican Institute of Chemical EngineersThe American Institute of Chemical Engineers is a professional organization for chemical engineers.AIChE was established in 1908 with the purpose of establishing chemical engineers as a profession independent from chemists and mechanical engineers.As of 2010, AIChE had over 40,000 members,...
- American Institute of PhysicsAmerican Institute of PhysicsThe American Institute of Physics promotes science, the profession of physics, publishes physics journals, and produces publications for scientific and engineering societies. The AIP is made up of various member societies...
- Franklin InstituteFranklin InstituteThe Franklin Institute is a museum in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and one of the oldest centers of science education and development in the United States, dating to 1824. The Institute also houses the Benjamin Franklin National Memorial.-History:On February 5, 1824, Samuel Vaughn Merrick and...
- Professional Engineers Society
He received the Quarter Century Citation award from the National Academy of Sciences. He received the Modern Pioneer Award from the National Association of Manufacturers
National Association of Manufacturers
The National Association of Manufacturers is an advocacy group headquartered in Washington, D.C. with 10 additional offices across the country...
(1940). He received the Longstreth Medal of Franklin Institute
Franklin Institute
The Franklin Institute is a museum in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and one of the oldest centers of science education and development in the United States, dating to 1824. The Institute also houses the Benjamin Franklin National Memorial.-History:On February 5, 1824, Samuel Vaughn Merrick and...
. He was decorated with the Industrial Research Institute Medal (1948). He received the Ohio Award of the American Institute of Chemistry (1953).
Slayter was given an honorary doctorate in engineering from Purdue University
Purdue University
Purdue University, located in West Lafayette, Indiana, U.S., is the flagship university of the six-campus Purdue University system. Purdue was founded on May 6, 1869, as a land-grant university when the Indiana General Assembly, taking advantage of the Morrill Act, accepted a donation of land and...
(1949). He received an honorary Doctor of Science from Ohio State University
Ohio State University
The Ohio State University, commonly referred to as Ohio State, is a public research university located in Columbus, Ohio. It was originally founded in 1870 as a land-grant university and is currently the third largest university campus in the United States...
(1963).
Slayter received a posthumous induction into the National Inventors Hall of Fame
National Inventors Hall of Fame
The National Inventors Hall of Fame is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to recognizing, honoring and encouraging invention and creativity through the administration of its programs. The Hall of Fame honors the men and women responsible for the great technological advances that make human,...
(2006).
Philanthropy
- In 1961 the student union at Denison UniversityDenison UniversityDenison University is private, coeducational, and residential college of liberal arts and sciences founded in 1831. It is located in Granville, Ohio, United States, approximately 30 miles east of Columbus, the state capital...
was named Slayter Union in recognition of his $1 million gift. - Slayter contributed to Newark, OhioNewark, OhioIn addition, the remains of a road leading south from the Octagon have been documented and explored. It was first surveyed in the 19th century, when its walls were more apparent. Called the Great Hopewell Road, it may extend to the Hopewell complex at Chillicothe, Ohio...
educational television stationEducational Television StationsEducational Television Stations was a division of the National Association of Educational Broadcasters , created at the association's 1963 convention in the United States...
WGSF. - He led a fundraisingFundraisingFundraising or fund raising is the process of soliciting and gathering voluntary contributions as money or other resources, by requesting donations from individuals, businesses, charitable foundations, or governmental agencies...
campaign for a new YMCAYMCAThe Young Men's Christian Association is a worldwide organization of more than 45 million members from 125 national federations affiliated through the World Alliance of YMCAs...
building in Newark, OhioNewark, OhioIn addition, the remains of a road leading south from the Octagon have been documented and explored. It was first surveyed in the 19th century, when its walls were more apparent. Called the Great Hopewell Road, it may extend to the Hopewell complex at Chillicothe, Ohio...
. - Games and Marie Slayter donated $300,000 for the Slayter Center of Performing ArtsSlayter Center of Performing ArtsThe Slayter Center of Performing Arts is located on the main campus of Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana. It is an outdoor concert bandshell completed in 1964 and dedicated May 1, 1965. The facility was a gift from Games Slayter and his wife Marie....
at Purdue (1963).
Inventions & Patents
- US Patent Number 2133235: Method & Apparatus for Making Glass Wool
- US Patent Number 2230272: Method of Producing Glass Fibers
- US Patent Number 2175225: Method of Making Glass Wool
- US Patent Number RE21863: Method & Apparatus of Melting & Fining Glass
- US Patent Number 2305500: Apparatus for Electrically Generating Pressures
- US Patent Number 2109258: Sealing Apparatus
- US Patent Number 2311613: Transparent Composite Materials
- US Patent Number 2333213: Static Eliminator