Joseph Shivers

Joseph Clois Shivers Jr. (November 29, 1920 – September 1, 2014) was an American textile chemist who was based in West Chester, Pennsylvania, best known for his role in the structural development of Spandex, a thermoplastic elastomer, in the 1950s, while employed at DuPont. During the course of the war, still as a student, he worked with the United States government to develop a drug to counter malaria for use by troops overseas. Shivers began working for DuPont in 1946 as a researcher on polymers. After working on other polyester projects, Shivers joined a project to synthesize a "synthetic elastomer to replace rubber", which was common in garments at the time. He was promoted to supervisor after the breakthrough. DuPont awarded Shivers with their Lavoisier Medal in 1995, the highest honor for the company.