Fred O. Conley
SPE
Inducted 1990
Fred O. Conley (1889 – 1991) was the founder of the Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE). He conceived and implemented this organization of individuals dedicated to exchanging and disseminating technical information in the then-young plastics industry. He drafted the organization’s original constitution and bylaws when the state of Michigan chartered SPE in 1942. Conley served as SPE’s first president.
The early formation of SPE was financed to a great extent by Conley. After he organized SPE’s Detroit section, he established a section in Chicago and another in Cleveland. SPE started with 130 charter members in the Detroit area, with more than 33,000 members worldwide.
Conley entered plastics in 1920 as a consulting engineer and manufacturer’s representative under The F. Conley Company. He is credited with developing several plastic “firsts” in the automotive industry, including a cowl ventilator and a patented interior sun visor. In 1932, he was instrumental in designing and developing a small portable radio cabinet — reputedly the first plastic cabinet of its kind.
Areas of Expertise:
Plastics management, Plastics sales