Wallace Carothers, American Organic Chemist
Wallace Hume Carothers (April 27, 1896 - April 29, 1937) was an American chemist, inventor and the leader of organic chemistry at DuPont, credited with the invention of nylon. He graduated from Tarkio College in Missouri in 1920 at the age of 24 with a bachelor of science degree. Then he went to the University of Illinois for his master of arts degree, which he received in 1921. After receiving his PhD, he stayed at the University of Illinois for two years as an instructor in organic chemistry. The decision to leave academia was difficult for him. At first he refused DuPont's offer of employment, explaining that he suffered from neurotic spells, but in 1927 he became a group leader at the DuPont Experimental Station laboratory where most polymer research was done. He was an organic chemist who, in addition to first developing nylon, also helped lay the groundwork for Neoprene. Despite his success with nylon, he felt that he had not accomplished much and had run out of ideas. His unhappiness was compounded by the death of his sister, Isobel, and on the evening of April 28, 1937 he checked into a Philadelphia hotel room and committed suicide by drinking a cocktail of lemon juice laced with potassium cyanide. He was 41 years old.
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