Willard H. Dow
Dow Chemical Company
Inducted 1975
Willard Dow (1897 – 1949) was the son of Dr. Herbert Henry and Grace Dow. Herbert was the founder and first president of the Dow Chemical Company. Willard attended the University of Michigan and received his degree in chemical engineering. He worked at Dow in various capacities during summers while in school and full-time as an engineer beginning in 1919. Willard eventually took over as president of Dow at 33 following his father’s death.
As president, Willard invested in new products and research, leading to tremendous company growth in many chemical areas, including plastics. He guided the company through both the great depression and World War II and the post-war errors. During WW II, Dow was critical to the U.S. effort, supplying various critical materials, including lightweight magnesium and synthetic rubber. Over the years, he pioneered the development and production of a wide variety of polymeric materials, including cellulose ethers, polystyrene, polystyrene foam, Saran Wrap™, divinylbenzene-based ion-exchange resins, and styrene/butadiene latexes.
Willard ran Dow, a major corporation, with a family culture, creating employee pension plans, good wages, model homes for employees, liberal health and life insurance benefits, and much support for community cultural facilities and activities. The company became a model for many large progressive corporations. Tragically, Willard Dow, his wife Martha, and others were killed in an airplane crash near London, Ontario, while flying to visit their son Herbert in 1949.
Areas of Expertise:
Plastic materials, Plastic management