Charles Goodyear Medal

Recipients

1940s

• 1941 David Spence - Diamond Rubber Co. researcher noted for synthesizing isoprene for use in synthetic rubber
• 1942 Lorin B. Sebrell - Goodyear Research Director noted for his work on organic accelerators for vulcanization
• 1944 Waldo L. Semon - early developer of synthetic rubber, in particular Ameripol for B. F. Goodrich
• 1946 Ira Williams - duPont developer of Neoprene
• 1948 George Oenslager - B. F. Goodrich chemist known for pioneering vulcanization accelerator chemistry
• 1949 Harry L. Fisher 69th national president of the American Chemical Society, and an authority on the chemistry of vulcanization

  1950s

• 1950 Carroll C. Davis - first editor of Rubber Chemistry and Technology, serving from 1928 to 1957, and developer of the first practical oxygen-aging test in the industry and the use of antioxidants in rubber
• 1951 William C. Geer - B. F. Goodrich pioneer in studying rubber ageing, and developer of early aircraft de-icing systems
• 1952 Howard E. Simmons - Dupont chemist that discovered the Simmons–Smith reaction
• 1953 John T. Blake - Research director at Simplex Wire and Cable company, pioneered understanding of rubber as an electrical insulator
• 1954 George S. Whitby - Head of the University of Akron rubber laboratory, for many years the only teacher of rubber chemistry in the USA
• 1955 Ray P. Dinsmore - Goodyear pioneer of the use of rayon as a reinforcing material in auto tires
• 1956 Sidney M. Cadwell - United States Rubber Company researcher noted as discoverer of antioxidants for rubber.
• 1957 Arthur W. Carpenter - past president of ASTM, known for contributions to quality control for rubber
• 1958 Joseph C. Patrick - Thiokol Chemical Company inventor of first American synthetic elastomer - Thiokol
• 1959 Fernley H. Banbury - Farrel Corporation executive and inventor of the Banbury mixer

  1960s

• 1960 William B. Wiegand - researcher at Columbian Carbon Co. who demonstrated the effect of carbon black particle size on rubber reinforcement
• 1961 Herbert A. Winkelmann - B. F. Goodrich developer of first commercially feasible antioxidant
• 1962 Melvin Mooney - United States Rubber Company physicist and rheologist responsible for the Mooney viscometer and the Mooney-Rivlin solid constitutive relation
• 1963 William J. Sparks - Exxon chemist and co-inventor of Butyl rubber
• 1964 Arthur E. Juve - B. F. Goodrich Director of Technology who developed oil-resistant rubber compositions, lab tests for tire treads, and improvements in manufacture of rubber products and the processing of synthetic rubber
• 1965 Benjamin S. Garvey - worked for B.F. Goodrich and Pennsalt Chemicals. Dr. Garvey developed the "10 Gram Evaluation Process."
• 1966 Edward A. Murphy - Dunlop researcher credited with invention of latex foam, first marketed as Dunlopillo
• 1967 Norman Bekkedahl - pioneered understanding of Glass transition in elastomers, and former Deputy Chief of the Polymers Division at the National Bureau of Standards
• 1968 Paul J. Flory - Cornell University pioneer in the physical chemistry of macromolecules, later a Nobel laureate
• 1969 Robert M. Thomas - Exxon chemist and co-inventor of Butyl rubber

  1970s

• 1970 Samuel D. Gehman - Goodyear physicist noted for development of a modulus-based measurement of rubber's glass transition temperature
• 1971 Harold J. Osterhof - inventor of Pliofilm, a plasticized rubber hydrochloride cast film, and director of research at Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co.
• 1972 Frederick W. Stavely - Firestone researcher responsible for development of synthetic polyisoprene a.k.a. "coral rubber"
• 1973 Arnold M. Collins - polychloroprene developer at DuPont
• 1974 Joseph C. Krejci - Phillips researcher known for developing oil furnace method to make carbon black
• 1975 Otto Bayer - head of the research group at IG Farben that discovered the polyaddition for the synthesis of polyurethanes out of polyisocyanate and polyol
• 1976 Earl L. Warrick - Dow Corning pioneer of silicone elastomer chemistry and inventor of Silly Putty
• 1977 James D. D'Ianni - Goodyear scientist noted for contributions in the development of synthetic rubber
• 1978 Frank Herzegh - Goodrich inventor of the first successful tubeless tire and owner of patents for over 100 inventions in the field of tire technology
• 1979 Francis P. Baldwin - Exxon Chief Scientist noted for his work on chemical modifications of low functionality elastomers

  1980s

• 1980 Samuel E. Horne, Jr. - Goodrich chemist who first polymerized synthetic polyisoprene using Ziegler catalyst
• 1981 John D. Ferry - University of Wisconsin–Madison chemistry professor noted for co-authoring the Williams–Landel–Ferry equation
• 1982 Adolf Schallamach - MRPRA researcher who pioneered understanding of the mechanisms of tire traction, abrasion and wear
• 1983 J. Reid Shelton - professor at Case Western University known for contributions to understanding of oxidation and antioxidants in rubber, and for application of laser-Raman spectroscopy to the study of sulfur vulcanization
• 1984 Herman E. Schroeder - R&D Director at DuPont and a pioneer in the development of tire cord adhesion and specialty elastomers
• 1985 Maurice Morton - Inaugural director of the Institute of Rubber Research at the University of Akron
• 1986 Leonard Mullins - MRPRA research director who first described the effect of prior overloads on rubber's stress-strain curve
• 1987 Norman R. Legge - Shell Oil Company researcher and pioneer of thermoplastic elastomers
• 1988 Herman F. Mark - Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn faculty known as the "father of polymer science" for his early work focused on the crystal structure of natural rubber and other polymers
• 1989 Jean-Marie Massoubre - Michelin researcher associated with early development of the radial tire

  1990s

• 1990 Alan N. Gent - University of Akron professor who contributed to understanding adhesion physics, and fracture of rubbery, crystalline and glassy polymers
• 1991 Edwin J. Vandenberg - chemist at Hercules Inc. known for discovery of isotactic polypropylene and the development of Ziegler-type catalysts
• 1992 Ronald S. Rivlin - MRPRA physicist and developer of finite elasticity theory for elastomers
• 1993 Leo Mandelkern - Florida State University Distinguished Professor of Chemistry, pioneered understanding of crystallization in polymers
• 1994 Alan G. Thomas - MRPRA physicist and developer of fracture mechanics theory for elastomers
• 1995 Aubert Y. Coran - Monsanto researcher responsible for invention of thermoplastic elastomer Geolast
• 1996 Siegfried Wolff - Degussa scientist who first recognized the potential for using silica in tire treads to reduce rolling resistance
• 1997 Adel F. Halasa - Goodyear scientist who developed a terpolymer rubber of styrene, isoprene and butadiene that was used in the Aquatred tire
• 1998 Jean-Baptiste Donnet - CNRS pioneer in surface chemistry of carbon black
• 1999 James E. Mark - University of Cincinnati pioneer in molecular dynamics computer simulations of rubber elasticity

  2000s

• 2000 Jack L. Koenig - Case Western Reserve University professor who pioneered spectroscopic methods of polymer characterization
• 2001 Yasuyuki Tanaka - Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology professor noted for elucidating the molecular structure of natural rubber
• 2003 Graham J. Lake - former pro cricketer and MRPRA pioneer in understanding fatigue behavior of rubber
• 2006 Robert F. Landel - Caltech Jet Propulsion Laboratory physical chemist noted for co-authoring the Williams–Landel–Ferry equation
• 2007 Karl A. Grosch - Uniroyal scientist who pioneered in the study of friction and abrasion in relation to tire traction and wear
• 2008 Joseph P. Kennedy - University of Akron Polymer Science professor and inventor of the polystyrene-polyisobutylene-polystyrene triblock polymeric coating on the Taxus Drug-eluting stent
• 2009 James L. White - University of Akron Polymer Engineering professor who developed numerical models of rubber rheological behavior in batch and continuous mixing machines

  2010s

• 2010 Edward Kresge - Exxon Chief Polymer Scientist who developed tailored molecular weight density EPDM elastomers
• 2011 Joseph Kuczkowski - Goodyear chemist who elucidated mechanisms of antioxidant function, resulting in the commercialization of several new antioxidant systems
• 2012 C. Michael Roland - Naval Research Lab scientist recognized for blast and impact protection using elastomers, and for diverse contributions to elastomer science
• 2013 Russell A. Livigni - Gencorp scientist known for discovery and development of barium-based catalysts for the polymerization of butadiene and its copolymerization with styrene to give high trans rubbers with low vinyl content
• 2014 Alan D. Roberts - TARRC physicist noted for contributions to understanding friction and contact in elastomers, in particular the JKR equation
• 2015 Sudhin Datta - ExxonMobil Chemical scientist noted for development of Vistamaxx propylene-based elastomers.
• 2016 Georg Bohm- Bridgestone scientist noted for development of electron beam pre-curing of elastomers
• 2017 Judit Puskas - University of Akron scientist noted as co-inventor of the polymer used on the Taxus-brand coronary stent
• 2018 Eric Baer - Case Western Reserve University professor noted for contributions to understanding elastomeric polyolefins and rubber toughening of brittle polymers, and for founding the university's Department of Macromolecular Science and Engineering.
• 2019 Roderic Quirk - University of Akron professor noted for contributions to anionic polymerization technology that is used to produce butadiene, isoprene and styrene homo and block copolymers.

  2020s

• 2020 Nissim Calderon - Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company researcher who first demonstrated olefin metathesis and later applied it to development of new elastomers, copolymers, terpolymers, alternating copolymers and oligomers.