Wilbert L. Gore
W. L. Gore and Associates - Gore-Tex
Inducted 1990
Wilbert Lee “Bill” Gore (1912 – 1986), born in Meridian, Idaho, was an American businessman and entrepreneur who co-founded W. L. Gore and Associates with his wife, Genevieve (Vieve). Bill Gore held degrees in chemical engineering (B.S., 1933) and physical chemistry (M.S., 1935) from the University of Utah in Salt Lake City. His technical interests mainly focused on polymer engineering, applications of statistical methods to experimentation, and operations research methods. His early career included employment at the American Smelting and Refining Company and Remington Arms. He then became a research supervisor and head of operations research for the DuPont Company from 1945 to 1957, where Gore left a career with DuPont to start his own business. He pursued an idea of his own for making electronic ribbon cables for use in computers insulated with polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE). Gore made several other major contributions to the plastics industry as a pioneer in applying PTFE resin.
After developing many applications for PTFE, Gore discovered that the material could be stretched to form a very strong, porous material, which was traded as “Gore-Tex.” This expanded PTFE fiber is best known for producing a waterproof, breathable fabric with countless applications in the medical field. Gore’s innovative applications in this field — such as sutures, vascular grafts, heart patches, and synthetic knee ligaments — have saved thousands of lives.
As the founder of W.L. Gore & Associates, Inc. in 1957, Gore was noted for his unique enterprise philosophy. His creative genius and management style led to many innovations in the use of PTFE, which, in addition to those in the medical field, include wire and cable products for aerospace, defense, telecommunications, and the computer industry.
Bill Gore served as president of W. L. Gore & Associates until he stepped down in 1976 in favor of his son, Bob. Bill maintained his position as Chairman of the Board until his death. Ironically, as an avid outdoorsman, Bill Gore died of a heart attack at 74 in July 1986 while on a backpacking trip in Wyoming’s Wind River Range.
Bill Gore was honored with numerous business, education, and community awards, including a University of Delaware Medal of Distinction (1983) and an honorary doctorate in humanities from Westminster College (1971). In 1985, he received the Prince Philip Award for Polymers in the Service of Mankind, which honored Gore’s Medical Products Division. In 2012, he was named one of the 50 Most Influential Delawareans of the Past 50 Years.
Areas of Expertise:
Plastic materials, Plastic processing, Plastics management
Related Links:
http://www.gore.com/en_xx/index.html
http://www.delawaretoday.com/Delaware-Today/April-2012/Wilbert-L-Bill-Gore-founder-of-WL-Gore-Associates/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Gore