Chains of Opportunity
The University of Akron and the Emergence of the Polymer Age, 1909–2007
Mark D. Bowles

357 pp., 6 x 9
Cloth 978-1-931968-53-9; $45.95
Series on Ohio History and Culture

Visit the College of Polymer Science and Polymer Engineering

Read an excerpt from Chains of Opportunity

Order online through our distributor, Atlas Books, or by calling 1-800-247-6553

While “plastics” was a one-word joke in the 1967 movie The Graduate, plastics and other polymers have never been a laughing matter at the University of Akron, with its world-renowned College of Polymer Science and Polymer Engineering. Chains of Opportunity: The University of Akron and the Emergence of the Polymer Age, 1909–2007 tells the story of the university's rise to prominence in the field, beginning with the world's first academic course in rubber chemistry almost a century ago. Chains of Opportunity explores the university's pioneering contributions to rubber chemistry, polymer science, and polymer engineering.  It traces the school's interaction with Akron rubber giants such as Goodyear and Firestone, recounts its administration of the federal government's synthetic rubber program during World War II, and describes its role in the development and professionalization of the academic discipline in polymers. The University of Akron has been an essential force in establishing the polymer age that has become a pervasive part of our material lives, in everything from toys to biotechnology.

Mark D. Bowles has authored or coauthored seven books on the history of space exploration, nuclear research, and medicine. His book, Science in Flux, won the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics’ 2005 History Manuscript Award, which is presented each year for the best historical manuscript dealing with the impact of aeronautics and astronautics on society. Bowles received his B.A. in psychology and M.A. in history from the University of Akron, his Ph.D. in the history of technology from Case Western Reserve University, and his M.B.A in technology management from the University of Phoenix. He founded Belle History in 2007. He is married to Nancy and they have three daughters.