
Games Slayter (9 December 1896 – 15 October 1964) was a prolific
U.S.
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 contiguous ...
engineer and
inventor
An invention is a unique or novel device, method, composition, idea, or process. An invention may be an improvement upon a machine, product, or process for increasing efficiency or lowering cost. It may also be an entirely new concept. If an ...
. He is best known for developing
fiberglass
Fiberglass (American English) or fibreglass (English in the Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth English) is a common type of fibre-reinforced plastic, fiber-reinforced plastic using glass fiber. The fibers may be randomly arranged, flattened i ...
, starting with a new method of producing
glass wool
Glass wool is an Thermal insulation, insulating material made from glass fiber arranged using a Binder (material), binder into a texture similar to wool. The process traps many small pockets of air between the glass, and these small air pockets r ...
in 1933.
Biography
Slayter was born in
Argos, Indiana 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 ( ) is a city on the Mississippi River in Madison County, Illinois, United States, about north of St. Louis, Missouri. The population was 25,676 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. It is a part of the River Bend (Illinois), Riv ...
) in 1915. At age 20 he married Maude Marie Foor (1917). He graduated from
Purdue University
Purdue University is a Public university#United States, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in West Lafayette, Indiana, United States, and the flagship campus of the Purdue University system. The university was founded ...
in 1921 with a
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science (BS, BSc, B.S., B.Sc., SB, or ScB; from the Latin ') is a bachelor's degree that is awarded for programs that generally last three to five years.
The first university to admit a student to the degree of Bachelor of Scienc ...
degree in chemical engineering. While at Purdue, Slayter marched tuba in the
Purdue All-American Marching Band.
Slayter was a registered professional engineer in the state of Ohio.
Career
Slayter joined
Owens-Illinois
O-I Glass, Inc. is an American company that specializes in container glass products. It is the largest manufacturer of glass containers in North America, South America, Asia-Pacific and Europe (after acquiring BSN Glasspack in 2004).
Company ...
Glass Co. (
Toledo, Ohio
Toledo ( ) is a city in Lucas County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. It is located at the western end of Lake Erie along the Maumee River. Toledo is the List of cities in Ohio, fourth-most populous city in Ohio and List of United Sta ...
) in 1931, and began working on a commercial process for producing glass fibers. He first applied for a patent for a new process to make
glass wool
Glass wool is an Thermal insulation, insulating material made from glass fiber arranged using a Binder (material), binder into a texture similar to wool. The process traps many small pockets of air between the glass, and these small air pockets r ...
in 1933. In 1938 he was named vice-president, research and development, of the newly formed
Owens-Corning
Owens Corning is an American company that develops and produces insulation, roofing, and fiberglass composites and related products. It is the world's largest manufacturer of fiberglass composites. It was formed in 1935 as a partnership between ...
Fiberglas™ 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
The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM), also known as the National Academies, is a congressionally chartered organization that serves as the collective scientific national academy of the United States. The name i ...
, and consulted on industrial applications for
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agencies of the United States government, independent agency of the federal government of the United States, US federal government responsible for the United States ...
. 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. He was a trustee of
Denison University
Denison University is a Private university, private liberal arts college in Granville, Ohio, United States. One of the earliest colleges established in the former Northwest Territory, Denison University was founded in 1831. It was first called ...
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 Technology (England)
*
American Association for the Advancement of Science
The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) is a United States–based international nonprofit with the stated mission of promoting cooperation among scientists, defending scientific freedom, encouraging scientific responsib ...
*American Institute of Chemists, the American Ceramics Society
*
American Chemical Society
The American Chemical Society (ACS) 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 155,000 members at all ...
*
American Institute of Chemical Engineers
The American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) is a professional organization for chemical engineers. AIChE was established in 1908 to distinguish chemical engineers as professionals independent of chemists and mechanical engineers.
Curr ...
*
American Institute of Physics
The American Institute of Physics (AIP) promotes science and the profession of physics, publishes physics journals, and produces publications for scientific and engineering societies. The AIP is made up of various member societies. Its corpora ...
*
Franklin Institute
The Franklin Institute is a science museum and a center of science education and research in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It is named after the American scientist and wikt:statesman, statesman Benjamin Franklin. It houses the Benjamin Franklin ...
*Professional Engineers Society
He received the Quarter Century Citation award from the
National Academy of Sciences
The National Academy of Sciences (NAS) is a United States nonprofit, NGO, non-governmental organization. NAS is part of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, along with the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) and the ...
. He received the Modern Pioneer Award from the
National Association of Manufacturers
The National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) is an advocacy group headquartered in Washington, D.C., with additional offices across the United States. It is the nation's largest manufacturing industrial trade association, representing 14,000 s ...
(1940). He received the
Longstreth Medal of
Franklin Institute
The Franklin Institute is a science museum and a center of science education and research in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It is named after the American scientist and wikt:statesman, statesman Benjamin Franklin. It houses the Benjamin Franklin ...
. He was decorated with the
Industrial Research Institute
Innovation Research Interchange (IRI) is a division of the National Association of Manufacturers, a Nonprofit organization, nonprofit association based in Washington, D. C., United States. IRI was founded as a private non-profit association in 1938 ...
(IRI)
Medal
A medal or medallion is a small portable artistic object, a thin disc, normally of metal, carrying a design, usually on both sides. They typically have a commemorative purpose of some kind, and many are presented as awards. They may be in ...
(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 is a Public university#United States, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in West Lafayette, Indiana, United States, and the flagship campus of the Purdue University system. The university was founded ...
(1949). He received an honorary Doctor of Science from
Ohio State University
The Ohio State University (Ohio State or OSU) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio, United States. A member of the University System of Ohio, it was founded in 1870. It is one ...
(1963).
Slayter received a posthumous induction into the
National Inventors Hall of Fame
The National Inventors Hall of Fame (NIHF) is an American not-for-profit organization, founded in 1973, which recognizes individual engineers and inventors who hold a US patent of significant technology. Besides the Hall of Fame, it also operate ...
(2006).
Philanthropy
*Slayter was a founding member of the Licking County Foundation Governing Committee.
*In 1961 the student union at
Denison University
Denison University is a Private university, private liberal arts college in Granville, Ohio, United States. One of the earliest colleges established in the former Northwest Territory, Denison University was founded in 1831. It was first called ...
was named Slayter Union in recognition of his $1 million gift.
*Slayter contributed to
Newark, Ohio
Newark ( ) is a city in Licking County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. It is located east of Columbus, Ohio, Columbus at the junction of the forks of the Licking River (Ohio), Licking River. The population was 49,934 at the 2020 United ...
educational television station WGSF.
*He led a
fundraising
Fundraising or fund-raising is the process of seeking and gathering voluntary financial contributions by engaging individuals, businesses, charitable foundations, or governmental agencies. Although fundraising typically refers to efforts to gathe ...
campaign for a new
YMCA
YMCA, sometimes regionally called the Y, is a worldwide youth organisation based in Geneva, Switzerland, with more than 64 million beneficiaries in 120 countries. It has nearly 90,000 staff, some 920,000 volunteers and 12,000 branches w ...
building in
Newark, Ohio
Newark ( ) is a city in Licking County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. It is located east of Columbus, Ohio, Columbus at the junction of the forks of the Licking River (Ohio), Licking River. The population was 49,934 at the 2020 United ...
.
*Games and Marie Slayter donated $300,000 for the
Slayter Center of Performing Arts at Purdue (1963).
Inventions and patents
US Patent Number 2133235: Method & Apparatus for Making Glass WoolUS Patent Number 2230272: Method of Producing Glass FibersUS Patent Number 2175225: Method of Making Glass WoolUS Patent Number RE21863: Method & Apparatus of Melting & Fining GlassUS Patent Number 2305500: Apparatus for Electrically Generating PressuresUS Patent Number 2109258: Sealing ApparatusUS Patent Number 2311613: Transparent Composite MaterialsUS Patent Number 2333213: Static Eliminator
References
External links
Purdue Slayter Center of Performing Arts1921 Duke Yearbook photo
{{DEFAULTSORT:Slayter, Russell Games
1896 births
1964 deaths
People from Argos, Indiana
Purdue University College of Engineering alumni
20th-century American inventors