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The Walter E. Gloor papers

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Held at: Science History Institute Archives [Contact Us]315 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106

This is a finding aid. It is a description of archival material held at the Science History Institute Archives. Unless otherwise noted, the materials described below are physically available in their reading room, and not digitally available through the web.

Overview and metadata sections

Call Number:
05
Repository:
Science History Institute Archives
Extent:
.5 linear feet (1 box)
Language:
English
Preferred Citation:
Walter E. Gloor Papers, Science History Institute Archives Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Date:
1945-1947 (inclusive)
Creator:
Gloor, Walter Ervin, 1907-
Form:
Archival materials
Abstract:
These papers concern wartime plastics production. They consist of reports on German plastics practice and a notebook kept by Gloor.

Gloor was born on November 9, 1907 in Ohio. He received his Bachelor of Science in 1929, and his Ph.D. in 1934 from Case Institute of Technology. He began his career as a research chemist with Hercules, Inc, where he became active in new product development. He remained with Hercules until 1972, when he began consulting. Gloor's research focused on new uses for plastics, plastics additives, and polyolefins.

Gloor served as a member of the U.S. Army Quartermaster Corps Consultants. As such he and fellow team members were charged with visiting German war production facilities and making recommendations to facilitate the transfer of this technology into Allied hands.

The Gloor papers consist primarily of reports concerning the plastics industry, particularly wartime plastics production in Germany. Correspondence and Gloor's personal notebook from 1945 are also present. Technical photographs accompany the reports.

Source of acquisition--Gift. Date of acquisition--1983.

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Organization
Subject

Publisher
Science History Institute Archives
Access Restrictions

This collection is open for research but has not been fully processed and described.

Collection Inventory

Correspondence, May 3, 1945 - October 21, 1947.
Box 1 Folder 1
Notebook: loose memoranda book pages and a Photostat labeled "Chemische Systematik makromolekularer Ketten.", 1945.
Box 1 Folder 2
Reports 1-6a: All reports are partially narrative and partially technical in nature, and include snapshot-sized B&W photographs, mostly technical in nature, some candid shots of Quartermaster team members and German plastics scientists and technicians. This file includes overview of project, visits to plants in Wolfen, Paris, Frankfurt., May 25-August 11 1945.
Box 1 Folder 3
Reports 6b-9: Elberfeld, Leverkusen, Dormagen — visits include Luvitherm and Igamid manufacturers, June 12-July 26 1945.
Box 1 Folder 4
Reports 10-14: Freiburg, Frankfurt—visits include I.G. Farben, June 14-July 17 1945.
Box 1 Folder 5
Reports 14a-18: Weisbaden, Leverkusen, Frankfurt — visits include I.G. Farben and Degussa plants, July 7-17 1945.
Box 1 Folder 6
Reports 19-25: Frankfurt, Gendorf, Dustbin, July 18-August 17, 1945.
Box 1 Folder 7
Reports 26-30: plant visits, July - August 1945.
Box 1 Folder 8
De Bell, J.M., W.C. Goggin, W.E. Gloor, "The German Plastics Industry," Technical Intelligence Reports, Office of the Chief Quartermaster, Technical Intelligence Branch, Procurement Division (APO 757), August 1945.
Box 1 Folder 9
Miscellaneous materials providing an overview of the German plastics industry — includes two production schedules from Dr. Alexander Wacker, 1943-1945.
Box 1 Folder 10

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