Baekeland, Leo Hendrick (1863 - 1944)

Leo Hendrick Baekeland invented Bakelite in 1907, and his inventive and entrepreneurial genius also propelled him into several other new chemical technological ventures at the turn of the twentieth century.

The generic nomenclature for bakelite is plastic.

Baekeland was born in November 14, 1863, in Ghent Belgium. His mother worked as a maid and his father was a shoe repairman. He taught himself photography, and then attended night classes at the Municipal technical School of Ghent to learn the chemistry of film developing.

Educated at the University of Ghent, Baekeland gained his doctorate in 1884.

He was appointed shortly afterwards to the chair of chemistry at Brugers University, but after a honey moon trip the USA chose in 1889 to leave Belgium permanently.

Baekeland initially worked in the field of photography, inventing Velos, a special photographic paper that permitted pictures to be printed in artificial light. He opted to sell discovery to Eastman Kodak for $25,000.

However, before he could begin the negotiation George Eastman offered him one million dollars, for the invention. With this totally unexpected fortune Baekeland retired to Yonkers, New York, to work in his private laboratory.

Baekeland next entered the field of electrochemistry. He visited Berlin briefly to update his knowledge of this new era of study, and he equipped his private laboratory on the grounds of his home.

Here Baekeland dedicated himself to finding a substitute for shellac – which was made from the secretion of a South Asian insect.

In 1902, Baekeland tried to make shellac by reacting phenol with formaldehyde. After five years of experiments, he discovered that catalyzing the reaction with an alkali caused the formation of the thermoplastic polymer resin he called Bakelite.

As president of Bakelite Corporation (1910-39), Baekeland saw that his product gained worldwide use in both industry and the home.

Baekeland received many honors for his invention and served as president of the American Chemical Society in 1924.

He not only helped shape the streamlined pre-WWII years, but it also presented a material that made it possible to mass produce items that made life easier in the home, office, street, field and factory.
Baekeland, Leo Hendrick (1863 - 1944)