Lawrence V. Redman (September 1, 1880 – November 26, 1946), was a

Canadian Canadians () are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of their being ''C ...

chemist A chemist (from Greek ''chēm(ía)'' alchemy; replacing ''chymist'' from Medieval Latin ''alchemist'') is a graduated scientist trained in the study of chemistry, or an officially enrolled student in the field. Chemists study the composition of ...

and businessman who spent much of his adult life in the

United States 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 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

. Redman was a pioneer in the industrial applications of

plastic Plastics are a wide range of synthetic polymers, synthetic or Semisynthesis, semisynthetic materials composed primarily of Polymer, polymers. Their defining characteristic, Plasticity (physics), plasticity, allows them to be Injection moulding ...

Biography

Born in Oil Springs, Ontario, Redman took a B.A. degree from the

University of Toronto The University of Toronto (UToronto or U of T) is a public university, public research university whose main campus is located on the grounds that surround Queen's Park (Toronto), Queen's Park in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It was founded by ...

in 1908. He continued his studies at the University of Kansas. In 1913, with the backing of S. Karpen & Bros., a Chicago furniture manufacturers, Redman established the Redmanol Chemical Products Company which produced a plastics similar to

Bakelite Bakelite ( ), formally , is a thermosetting polymer, thermosetting phenol formaldehyde resin, formed from a condensation reaction of phenol with formaldehyde. The first plastic made from synthetic components, it was developed by Belgian chemist ...

. Redman was the president. In 1922, the Redmanol company, the Condensite Company of America, and General Bakelite were consolidated into Bakelite Corporation. Redman became vice president and director of research. He retired in 1939. Redman was a member of the

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 ...

and its president in 1932.

References

Bibliography

*"Redman, Lawrence V." ''The National Cyclopaedia of American Biography.'' 38:632-633. 1880 births 1946 deaths Canadian chemists University of Toronto alumni Canadian emigrants to the United States {{Canada-business-bio-stub