Ted Doan

Ted Doan was a businessman, philanthropist and the last member of the Dow family that served as president and CEO of the Dow Chemical Company. Doan led the company from 1962-71 and transformed Dow from a firm that made chemicals for other companies into one of the most widely known and one of the world’s largest chemical conglomerates. Doan was a strong supporter of entrepreneurship and was chairman of the Herbert H. and Grace A. Dow Foundation, founded in his grandparents' honor.

Early years Doan was born in 1922 in Midland, Michigan. He was the youngest of three children of Leland Ira Doan, general sales manager at Dow, and his wife, Ruth Alden Dow, daughter of the founder of Dow, Herbert H. Dow, after whom he was named. He was always called Ted because his grandfather's name was "too much to hang on a kid" Doan recalled.

Business Doan returned to Midland and was hired at Dow just weeks before Willard Dow, his uncle, died in an airplane crash. Ted's father, Leland Doan, was named Dow president.

Doan began an open-door policy for employees, placed higher emphasis on research, and held the attitude that their employees were the company's strength. Those policies continued after Doan's departure from Dow. when he reached Dow's mandatory retirement age of 65.

He founded venture capital firm Doan Associates in 1971, He was co-founder and board member of biotechnology company Neogen

Doan continued working on projects until he became ill a few months before he passed. The couple had four children: Jeffrey (1947), Christine (1949), Michael (1953) and Ruth (1954).

Community involvement Doan was an early supporter of Saginaw Valley State University a popular Midland landmark.

Awards & honors Honorary Doctor of Laws degree, 1993 University of Michigan American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) Cornell University’s Engineering Council, emeritus member Cornell’s Research Foundation, member University of Michigan College of Engineering advisory board Michigan Molecular Institute, chairman Michigan Venture Capital Task Force, co-chairman National Science Board member, 1976 to 1982; Chairman 1981-1982 MITECH+, founder Dendritech, Inc., board member ARCH Development Corp., founding member Michigan High Technology Task Force, president Office of Technology Assessment, board Argonne National Laboratories Board of Governors Herbert H. and Grace A. Dow Foundation, Trustee and Chairman Herbert Dow Doan Science Building at Saginaw Valley State University