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Notable people · Inventor · Engineer

Russell Games Slayter

Games Slayter, born in Argos, Indiana, joined Owens-Illinois in Toledo in 1931 and in 1933 patented a new process for glass wool. He became vice president of research at Owens-Corning Fiberglas in 1938; the first plant was in Newark, Ohio. He had strong ties to Newark and Denison University.

Russell Games Slayter
Owens Corning, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

At a glance

Born
1896-12-09
Died
1964-10-15
Education
Western Military Academy, Illinois
Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, to 1921, B.S. chemical engineering
Known as
Inventor, Engineer
Organizations
Owens-Illinois, Owens-Corning Fiberglas

Life story

Games Slayter was born in Argos, Indiana, in 1896, attended Western Military Academy in Illinois, and earned a chemical engineering degree at Purdue in 1921.

He joined Owens-Illinois Glass in Toledo in 1931. From 1933 he developed methods for making glass wool, the start of fiberglass insulation.

When Owens-Corning Fiberglas was formed in 1938 he became its vice president for research and development. He held eight U.S. patents on glass fiber.

He retired in December 1963 and died in 1964. He gave $1 million to Denison University, where Slayter Union carries his name.

Timeline

  • 1896-12-09: Born (Argos, IN) source
  • 1921: B.S. chemical engineering, Purdue (West Lafayette, IN) source
  • 1931: Joins Owens-Illinois Glass (Toledo, OH) source
  • 1933: Begins glass wool work that led to fiberglass (Toledo, OH) source
  • 1938: VP of research, Owens-Corning Fiberglas (Toledo, OH) source
  • 1948: Industrial Research Institute Medal (United States) source
  • 1949: Honorary doctorate, Purdue (Indiana) source
  • 1963: Honorary doctorate, Ohio State; retires in December (Ohio) source
  • 1964-10-15: Dies (Ohio) source
  • 2006: Inducted into National Inventors Hall of Fame (United States) source

What Russell is known for

  • Developed Fiberglas insulation, Toledo/Newark
  • Eight U.S. patents on glass fiber
  • Fiberglas insulation

Inventions and firsts

All Ohio inventions and firsts

Honors and things named for them

  • Franklin Institute Longstreth Medal
  • Industrial Research Institute Medal (1948)
  • National Inventors Hall of Fame (2006)
  • Honorary doctorates: Purdue (1949), Ohio State (1963)
  • Slayter Union, Denison University, Granville, Ohio
  • Slayter Center of Performing Arts, Purdue

Places in Ohio to see

Ohio places

Where Russell Games Slayter was born, lived, worked and is remembered, with the ZIP code, town and county pages for each.

Further reading

Sources

Confidence. High: the main facts were confirmed in sources we opened.

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