Willard H. Dow

Plastics & foam The military also needed numerous other materials that Dow produced. Dow’s first plastic, Ethocel, was used for control knobs, telephone headsets, mouthpieces, goggles, canteens, airplane parts and explosive devices. Foamed polystyrene was used in lifeboats and rafts for buoyancy. After the war, Dow marketed Styrofoam with great success. Newly developed Saran resins were used to screen insects in tropical jungles and did not rust or rot. Theys were also used to for shoe insoles in jungle boots to prevent fungal infections. Later, the plastic film would be modified for everyday products including Saran Wrap.

Willard Dow believed that for a company to survive, they must respond to whatever challenges their era presents. He was convinced that chemistry provided boundless opportunities. 30-year Service Pin, 1949 Dow Chemical Company 32nd Degree Shriner (Master of the Royal Secret) Knights Templar (Freemasonry) Inducted Plastics Hall of Fame, 1975