HERMAN MARK
Polytechnic University professor Herman Mark—the father of polymer science—transformed the 19th century industrial age through basic research, and inspired teaching and industrial application by establishing the study of polymers as a discrete branch of chemistry. Devoid of academic snobbery, Mark's influence is seen the world over in everyday products and highly specialized fields that rely on natural and synthetic polymers. From medicine to manufacturing, and aerospace to consumer goods, Mark's founding of the Brooklyn Polytechnic Institute's world-renowned polymer program and the Journal of Polymer Science was vital to establishing polymer research as a respected scientific discipline that has enriched the world through applications yet to be invented.