CAROTHERS, WALLACE HUME

born April 27, 1896, Burlington, Iowa, U.S. died April 29, 1937, Philadelphia, Pa. American chemist who developed nylon, the first synthetic polymer fibre to be produced commercially (in 1938) and one that laid the foundation of the synthetic-fibre industry. At the University of Illinois and later at Harvard University, Carothers did research and teaching in organic chemistry. In 1928 he was appointed director of research in organic chemistry by E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Company at its laboratory in Wilmington, Del. He investigated the structure of substances of high molecular weight and their formation by polymerization. These fundamental investigations led to the development of nylon, an artificial fibre with properties similar and in many ways superior to such natural fibres as wool, cotton, and silk, and to neoprene, a synthetic rubber derived from vinylacetylene. Carothers committed suicide after a long period of depression.