Daniel Fox

Education and employmentAwards, honors, and achievements
Dr. Fox began his academic career at Lebanon ValleyHe was the recipient of GE's first Steinmetz Award in
College in Annville, Pennsylvania. He graduated in 19481973, a recognition of their top scientists.
with a degree in chemistry. He then continued hisHe was the youngest living person to be inducted into
education at the University of Oklahoma in Norman,the Plastics Hall of Fame in 1976.
obtaining both his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees from thisHe held 44 patents.
institution.He developed LEXAN, a strong and useful
Upon his graduation, he was hired by General Electricthermoplastic products, that is credited with kicking off
in Schenectady, New York as the new manager ofthe thermoplastics business.
chemical development. It was there in 1953 that heDan Fox Drive in Pittsfield, Massachusetts is named
invented LEXAN while working on a project toafter Dr. Fox.
develop new wire insulation material. For the next 35His alma mater, Lebanon Valley College, created a
years, he produced ground breaking research in hissummer program where students spend a week
field and eventually was the holder of 44 patents. Heexperiencing life at the college. It also gives students
retired from GE in June 1988, but continued his polymerexperiences in areas that they want to study after
research until his death in February 1989.high school. The program, which lasts for 5 days in
At GE, his employees often referred to themselves asJune, is known as the Daniel Fox Youth Scholars
students of "Dan Fox University" because of Dr. Fox'sInstitute.
impressive ability to recognize and promote young,Selected journal articles
talented scientists. Jack Welch, former CEO andFox, Daniel W., Peters, Edward N. (1985). Engineering
chairman of GE, was one of the most notablethermoplastics: Chemistry and technology. ACS
students to graduate from Dan Fox University.Symposium Series, 495-514.
LEXAN patentFox, D.W., Gallucci, R.R., Peters, E.N., Smith, G.F. (1985).
Even though Dr. Fox is often credited with thePolysulfone carbonate copolymers. Annual Technical
invention of this plastics product, he was not the first. InConference - Society of Plastics Engineers, 951-953.
1955, Fox applied for a patent, two years after his initialReferences
discovery of the material. In the same year, Bayer in^ a b Lebanon Valley College information on Daniel
Germany had also applied for a U.S. patent on aFox. Accessed online: 31 July 2007.
molecule invented by Dr. Hermann Schnell that was^ GE Lexan biography of Daniel Fox. Accessed online:
virtually identical to Fox's. So before it was decided31 July 2007.
who was to receive the patent, GE and Bayer^ Goldblum, K.B. Goldblum's personal account of
entered into an agreement that stipulated whoeverworking with Dr. Fox. Accessed online: 31 July 2007.
received the US patent would agree to allow the other^
to operate by paying a royalty to the patent holder.External links
This worked out in GE's favor after the patent wasLebanon Valley College "Daniel Fox Youth Scholars
awarded to Bayer because Schnell's date of inventionInstitute"
preceded Fox's by only one week. Dr. Fox may beGeneral Electric LEXAN website biography
considered the father of LEXAN polycarbonate, butFox's colleague's, Kenneth B.
indeed he shares that honor with Dr. Schnell.