Games Slayter (9 December 1896 – 15 October 1964) was a prolific U.S. engineer and inventor. He is best known for developing fiberglass, starting with a new method of producing glass wool in 1933.
Biography
Slayter was born in Argos, Indiana as Russell Games Slayter. He dropped Russell early in his life. He graduated from Argos High School in 1914, and from Western Military Academy (Alton, Illinois) in 1915. At age 20 he married Maude Marie Foor (1917). He graduated from Purdue University in 1921 with a Bachelor of Science degree in chemical engineering. While at Purdue, Slayter marched tuba in the Purdue All-American Marching Band.[1]
Slayter was a registered professional engineer in the state of Ohio.
Career
Slayter joined Owens-Illinois Glass Co. (Toledo, Ohio) in 1931, and began working on a commercial process for producing glass fibers. He first applied for a patent for a new process to make glass wool in 1933. In 1938 he was named vice-president, research and development, of the newly formed Owens-Corning Fiberglas™ Corporation. He held that position until his retirement in December 1963.
Slayter served on the Materials Advisory Board of the United States National Research Council, and consulted on industrial applications for NASA. He was also a member of the Board of Distinguished Consultants for the Ohio Society of Professional Engineers and the Advisory Counsel of the Patent, Trade Mark, and Copyright Foundation.
On 29 September 1961, the Granville Technical Center (renamed Science and Technology Center in 1992) was dedicated to Games Slayter, to honor his more than 30 years of contributions to the glass fiber industry.
Slayter was given an honorary doctorate in engineering from Purdue University (1949). He received an honorary Doctor of Science from Ohio State University (1963).