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THE BECKMAN CENTER FOR THE HISTORY OF CHEMISTRY PAUL S. GREER Transcript of an Interview Conducted by Peter J. T. Morris in Chapel Hill, North Carolina on 13 November 1985 (With Subsequent Additions and Corrections) Upon Paul S. Greer’s death in 2006, this oral history was designated Free Access. One may view, quote from, cite, or reproduce the oral history with the permission of CHF. Please note: Users citing this interview for purposes of publication are obliged under the terms of the Chemical Heritage Foundation (CHF) Oral History Program to notify CHF of publication and credit CHF using the format below: Paul S. Greer, interview by Peter J. T. Morris at Chapel Hill, North Carolina, 13 November 1985 (Philadelphia: Chemical Heritage Foundation, Oral History Transcript # 0021). Chemical Heritage Foundation Oral History Program 315 Chestnut Street Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19106 The Chemical Heritage Foundation (CHF) serves the community of the chemical and molecular sciences, and the wider public, by treasuring the past, educating the present, and inspiring the future. CHF maintains a world-class collection of materials that document the history and heritage of the chemical and molecular sciences, technologies, and industries; encourages research in CHF collections; and carries out a program of outreach and interpretation in order to advance an understanding of the role of the chemical and molecular sciences, technologies, and industries in shaping society. PAUL S. GREER 1904 Born in Braddock, Pennsylvania on 28 November Education 1925 B.S., chemistry, Grove City College 1927 B.S., chemical engineering, Case Institute of Technology 1932 Ch.E., Case Institute of Technology Professional Experience 1927-1942 Chemical Engineer, Carbide and Carbon Chemical Corporation 1942-1943 Senior Industrial Specialist, War Production Board 1943-1950 Chief, Polymer Development Branch, Office of Synthetic Rubber 1950-1955 Chief, Research and Development Division, Office of Synthetic Rubber 1955-1957 Engineer, National Science Foundation 1957-1974 Physical Science Administrator, U.S. Army Research Office ABSTRACT Paul Greer begins his interview with a short description of his upbringing in western Pennsylvania, where his father operated a successful business college. Greer studied chemistry at the small Grove City College, but with one year at Carnegie Institute of Technology, and then continued further studies in chemical engineering at Case. The years up to the outbreak of World War II were spent with Union Carbide, working on the early development of petrochemicals. Greer then moved to Washington D.C. to join the War Production Board, but, soon after, transferred to the Office of the Rubber Director where he played an important role in process development and product quality of the butadiene-styrene rubber, GR-S. During this section of the interview technical details of the wartime program are discussed and the contributions of individuals assessed. Greer stayed in Washington after the war, eventually becoming head of research and development for the Office of Synthetic Rubber. He elaborates on the balance between natural and synthetic rubber and the effect of the Korean War. The roles of cold rubber, oil- extended rubber and masterbatch rubber are explained as well as the patent actions with General Tire & Rubber Company. Greer reviews the lessons of the government rubber program and mentions the important individual and corporate contributions. After the wind-down of the government program, Greer joined the U.S. Army Research Office and he describes his functions during this final stage of his working life. INTERVIEWER Peter J. T. Morris is currently at the Department of the History of Science and Technology of the Open University, where he is Royal Society-British Academy Research Fellow. Morris was educated at Oxford University [ B.A., chemistry (1978); D.Phil., modern history (1983)], and he was a Research Fellow at the Open University from 1982 to 1984. During the period 1985-1987, Peter Morris was Assistant Director for Special Projects at the Beckman Center. He is author of the monographs, Archives of the British Chemical Industry, 1800-1914 and Polymer Pioneers; his volume The American Synthetic Rubber Research Program is due to be published by the University of Pennsylvania Press in December 1989. TABLE OF CONTENTS 1 Childhood and Education Family background, father's business college. School at Braddock, Pennsylvania. Chemistry studies at Grove City College, sophomore year at Carnegie. Chemical Engineering at Case. Faculty at Grove City and Case, colleagues. 6 Employment at Union Carbide Laboratories at Charleston, West Virginia; organization and assignments. Early years of organic chemical engineering. Product development of commodity chemicals. 12 Wartime Government Service War Production Board and transfer to the Office of the Rubber Director. Duties and colleagues. Process development and product quality of GR-S. Details of wartime research and development programs, individual contributions. Cold rubber. 20 Postwar experience; Office of Synthetic Rubber Postwar concerns about natural versus synthetic rubbers. Chief of Research and Development, effect of Korean War. Details of cold rubber development, gel content, chain regularity. Conversion of production capacity to cold rubber. Oil- extended rubber. Disputes with General Tire & Rubber Company, testifying in patent actions. Masterbatch rubber. Stereoregular rubbers. Wind-down of government rubber program. Major players in the enterprise, lessons of the program and analogies to synfuel proposals. 42 U.S. Army research Office Duties at Army Research office. Relations with universities, anti-war sentiments. Retirement. 47 Notes 48 Index INTERVIEWEE: Paul S. Greer INTERVIEWER: Peter J. T. Morris LOCATION: Chapel Hill, North Carolina DATE: 13 November 1985 MORRIS: You were born on 28 November, 1904 at Braddock, Pennsylvania, which is near Pittsburgh. GREER: Ten miles out. MORRIS: What was your parents' background? GREER: My father was the founder, owner, and manager of a business school which he started in 1899 and carried on until his retirement in 1940. MORRIS: Did your mother ever work? GREER: Not outside the home; she was a full-time, superb homemaker who was never ill. My mother was born in Johnstown, Pennsylvania and graduated from Pittsburgh Female College, which is now known as Chatham College. She married my father in 1893 in Johnstown, Pennsylvania. My father had been a teacher at the Morrell Institute there. MORRIS: Where was your father born, by the way? GREER: My father was born in Mechanicsburg, Brush Valley in Indiana County, Pennsylvania. He graduated from Iron City Business College in Pittsburgh, where he had taught three years. Then he went to Johnstown and with M. E. Bennett helped organize a business school known as the Morrell Institute. They survived the catastrophic Johnstown flood of 1889, mainly because the Institute building held fast against the onslaught of the torrent. During 1895-98 my father organized and conducted short courses in subjects such as business English, mathematics, bookkeeping, and penmanship in twenty six towns in western Pennsylvania. In 1898 he settled permanently in the Braddock area and founded the Greer Business College, which he directed until it closed when he retired in 1940. After retirement he 1 still worked as a part-time private tutor and as a professional calligrapher, engrossing diplomas, testimonials, and resolutions. He was a charter member of the Braddock Rotary Club, and the vice-president of the North Braddock Board of Education from 1925-35. He was clerk of the sessions with the Braddock United Presbyterian Church and a member of the board of missions and a delegate to the Congress of Missions in 1930. He died on 6 July 1947. MORRIS: How old was he when he died? GREER: He was 87. MORRIS: Was his business school successful? GREER: It was successful up until the time he closed it. Then he got too old to run it anymore. MORRIS: The Depression didn't affect it at all? GREER: The Depression took it down, but he kept it going and didn't close it until 1940. MORRIS: Presumably you spent all your childhood in Braddock and went to school there. GREER: My mother's maiden name was Jean Cooper Harris and she was the granddaughter of James Cooper, for whom Coopersdale, a Johnstown suburb, was named. Our family moved from Braddock to North Braddock in 1912, after which I attended North Braddock High School and graduated in 1921. MORRIS: What kind of secondary education did you have? Was it a good education do you think? GREER: The high school education was quite good. I had four years science and four years of mathematics. At that time I developed an interest in physical science subjects; hence, I emphasized those in my college work. I was influenced by one of my high school teachers to enroll at Grove City College in 1921. After a year there, I thought that I would prefer to go to an engineering school so I transferred to Carnegie Tech for my sophomore year, but by the end of my sophomore year I decided I would rather concentrate in chemistry so I returned to Grove City College and graduated from there in 1925. At that time I was 2 offered a fellowship for further study in chemical engineering at the Case School of Applied Science. So I continued my education there for an additional two years, which fulfilled the requirements for a chemical engineering degree. MORRIS: You also have a B.S. in chemistry? GREER: I have a B.S. in chemistry from Grove City. MORRIS: Why did you decide to do a B.S. in chemical engineering, rather than doing a higher degree? GREER: Because I wanted to get more basic engineering training than I would have obtained just going on for an advanced degree in chemistry. MORRIS: You didn't feel equipped to go on for an advanced degree in chemical engineering straight away? GREER: No, I didn't have the necessary undergraduate chemical engineering subjects.