Bernard W. Doyle
Viscoloid Company
Inducted 1987
Bernard W. Doyle (1873 – 1949) was an early visionary of the plastics industry. Through his efforts, a fledgling industry of small plastics companies developed into an expanded industry of large-volume operations.
Doyle founded the Viscoloid Company in Leominster, Massachusetts, in 1901 to produce cellulose nitrate plastics into a wide range of proprietary products. He fabricated Viscoloid cellulose nitrate plastics into combs, dresser sets, bracelets, and other ladies’ fashion items, toys, and various novelties, all now prized by collectors.
Doyle also developed theories and practices of mass production and marketing of plastics materials, ideas that greatly influenced other plastics corporations, including Monsanto, Fiberloid, DuPont, Celluloid, and Bakelite Corporation. In 1925, the Viscoloid plant became known as the “Doyle Works” of E.I. DuPont de Nemours, a move that laid the foundation for the introduction in 1934 of commercial injection molding, which sharply accelerated the plastic industry’s dramatic expansion.
After retirement, Doyle served as Mayor of Leominster and continued his philanthropic activities, including the Doyle Foundation Fund. The fund has been a significant scholarship and loan source for college students in Leominster since it was established in 1928.
Plastic management, Plastic materials