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Oliver M. Hayden

Oliver Hayden

Gift of Oliver M. Hayden, CHF Collections

  • Born: August 20, 1893, Windsor, Connecticut
  • Died: August 13, 1991

  Interview Details

Interview no.: 0022
Interview Date: February 18, 1986
Location: Wilmington, Delaware
Interviewer: Raymond C. Ferguson
No. of pages: 57
Minutes: 180

  Abstract of Interview

Hayden begins with his life in Windsor, Connecticut, his academic life at Clark College, and his first employment with insurance companies in Hartford. He served in clinical laboratories and other assignments in the U.S. Army Sanitation Corps during World War I. He joined the Fisk Rubber Company, where he gained experience in rubber compounding and quality control. Hayden then moved to the Organic Chemicals Department of DuPont, where he worked in screening chemicals for use in the rubber industry, the development of neoprene, and became Manager of the Rubber Laboratory. He moved into Technical Sales management, Rubber Chemicals Division, and became Assistant Director of Sales in the Elastomer Chemicals Department. During the interview he talks about colleagues he knew and friends he made at Fisk, DuPont and in the rubber industry.

  Education

1914 A.B., Chemistry, Clark College

  Professional Experience

Phoenix Mutual Life Insurance Company

1915 - 1915 Salesman

Hartford Accident and Indemnity Company

1915 - 1917 Claims Adjuster

U.S. Army Sanitary Corps

1917 - 1919 Lieutenant

Fisk Rubber Company

1919 - 1926 Chemist

E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company

1926 - 1927 Technologist, Organic Chemicals Department

E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company

1927 - 1940 Manager, Rubber Laboratory, Rubber Chemicals Department

E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company

1940 - 1948 Assistant Manager, Technical Sales

E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company

1948 - 1954 Manager, Technical Sales

E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company

1954 - 1957 Assistant Director of Sales

  Honors

1955 D.Sc., Clark University
1958 Honorary Member, Committee D-11, American Society for Testing and Materials
1979 50-year Member, American Chemical Society

  Table of Contents

Title and Description Page

Childhood and Early Education 1

Early life on a tobacco farm in Connecticut. Small country schoolroom. High school in Winsdor.

Undergraduate Education 5

Clark College and Faculty. World War I service in U.S. Sanitary Corps. Marriage.

Family 11

Children and their careers.

Career in Rubber Industry 13

Start of career. Quality control and compounding.

DuPont 17

Move to DuPont Rubber Laboratory. Neoprene development. DuPont colleagues. Other synthetic rubber developments. German pre-war synthetic rubber progress. Experiences on visit there.

Other Activities 33

ASTM and ACS. Further reflections on DuPont colleagues.

Notes 50

Index 52

  About the Interviewer

Raymond C. Ferguson

Raymond C. Ferguson obtained his degrees in chemistry from Iowa State University (B.S., M.S.) and Harvard University (Ph.D.). He worked in research divisions of the Organic Chemicals, Elastomer Chemicals, and Central Research Departments of DuPont, principally in molecular spectroscopy, organic structure analysis, and polymer characterization. Currently he is affiliated with CONDUX, Inc., a consulting association of former DuPont professionals.

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