Chains of Opportunity: The University of Akron and the Emergence of The Polymer Age 1909–2007

2 THE SYNTHETIC QUEST 1941–1956

THE SYNTHETIC QUEST 1941–1956 “attention, citizens of the united states!” wrote an MIT professor in 1942. “Our present rubber situation is serious, deadly serious. . . .”1 With nearly the entire world’s supply of natural rubber under the control of Japan, an Allied military that literally moved upon rubber threatened to grind to a halt if a dramatic action were not immediately taken. In response, a consortium of organizations involved in rubber research and production “united in a unique spirit of technical cooperation.”2 A vast network of academic and industrial researchers throughout the United States cooperated in working toward developing a synthetic rubber to replace the lost natural supply . The result was the commercialization of a general 45 2 Bowles.1-76 6/17/08 1:48 PM Page 45 purpose synthetic rubber known as GR-S (Government Rubber-Styrene).3 The program’s importance paralleled the Manhattan Project in scope but exceeded it in terms of practical significance for the war. Of all the government, academic, and industrial organizations that worked toward achieving this rubber milestone, only one location was chosen in 1998 by the American Chemical Society as the site for its National Historic Chemical Landmark. Today, a black and white granite memorial rock sits at the entrance of the University of Akron’s Goodyear Polymer Center, recognizing the significance of the United States Synthetic Rubber Program from 1939 to 1945 and its central importance in the Allied victory in World War II.4 “Had it not been overshadowed by the production of the atomic bomb,” wrote several U.S. senators in 1948, “this achievement would undoubtedly have been the outstanding accomplishment of the war effort.”5 the rubber crisis On April 9, 1942, a fight broke out in the exclusive Alfalfa Club at Washington, D.C.’s Hotel Willard. According to the Los Angeles Times, the “sideshow of fisticuffs” took place between two distinguished men in their late sixties, each wearing a suit and tie, out for an evening of dinner and drinks.6 The disagreement was over a somewhat unusual topic—synthetic rubber. Jesse Jones, the U.S. Secretary of Commerce, walked into the club and began verbally berating Eugene Meyer, the owner of the Washington Post. The Post had an article alleging that Jones and the Roosevelt administration had failed to develop a synthetic rubber program to meet the growing wartime emergency. The heated exchange escalated when Jones grabbed and began to shake Meyer, knocking his glasses from his face. Meyer responded by taking a wild swing at Jones’s jaw. Bystanders, among whom were Supreme Court justices and U.S. senators, eventually separated them.7 What could have made a seemingly benign topic such as rubber arouse such emotional anger among the Washington elite? During World War II, rubber had become a material as vital as any weapon and one that could determine the outcome of the war itself. Just a few months before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, the Wall the synthetic quest 46 Bowles.1-76 6/17/08 1:48 PM Page 46 Street Journal discussed the importance of rubber for war, proclaiming, “The army moves on rubber.”8 Tanks required rubber treads. Trucks, airplanes, automobiles, and even gun carriages depended upon rubber for their mobility. The military used rubber to keep airplane gasoline tanks, oil tanks, and fuel lines from leaking, often despite bullet holes in combat. The army also used it to protect troops from poison gas attacks through rubber-reinforced masks and clothing. The quantities required were staggering. A single battleship used seventy-five tons of rubber, and a B-17 Flying Fortress used a half ton. In World War I, the military required thirty-two pounds of rubber per soldier; by World War II, this had increased to 194 pounds.9 Simply put, without rubber, modern warfare would come to a grinding halt. Furthermore, if one combatant had access to rubber and the other did not, victory would likely go to the one that possessed this essential material. As World War II escalated, a critical problem emerged for the United States. It was almost entirely dependent upon other nations for its rubber supply, and these sources were being cut off. In 1939, natural rubber represented the United States largest imported commodity (in dollar values). A vast majority of it came from the Far East, and when the Japanese attacked the Dutch East Indies...