Carleton van Staal Ellis
Born Sept 20 1876 - Jan 13 1941
Food Product Containing Hydrogenated Oil
Patent#: 1,390,689

Inducted 2011

Carleton Van Staal Ellis was an inventor who used his knowledge of organic chemistry to contribute innovations and improvements in a wide range of industries and products In addition to work on margarine, he also made contributions towards anti-knock gasoline, longer lasting house paint, more durable polyesters and plastics, improved printing inks, and methods for hydroponic plant growth. He also worked on Standard Oil’s tube-and-tank method of oil cracking and discovered a way to economically fireproof aircraft wings during World War I.

Invention Impact

Ellis was the author of The Hydrogenation of Oils as well as the first comprehensive treatise on synthetic resins and plastics. In 1933, he was issued the first U.S. patent for an unsaturated polyester, followed by a patent for polyester copolymers. His work is said to have resulted in over 100,000 compounds and to have made plastics an exact and lucrative science.

Inventor Bio

Carleton van Stall Ellis was born in Keene, NH. He attended the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, was a recipient of the Longstreth Medal in 1916. The World War II Liberty ship the S.S. Carleton Ellis was named in his honor.