United States Synthetic Rubber Program 1939-1945
National Historic Chemical Landmark
Top plaque:
When the natural rubber supply from Southeast Asia was cut off at the beginning of World War II, the United States and its allies faced the loss of a strategic material. With U.S. government sponsorship, a consortium of companies involved in rubber research and production united in a unique spirit of technical cooperation and dedication to produce a general-purpose synthetic rubber, GR-S (Government Rubber-Styrene), on a commercial scale. In Akron and other U.S. locations, these companies, in collaboration with a network of researchers in numerous government, academic, and industrial laboratories, developed and manufactured in record time enough synthetic rubber to meet the needs of the U.S. and its allies during World War II.
The Firestone Tire & Rubber Company
The B.F. Goodrich Company
The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
Standard Oil Company of New Jersey
United States Rubber Company
Bottom plaque:
Dedicated August 29, 1998 at the University of Akron, this site was selected because of its central location and the participation of the rubber research laboratories in the wartime development of synthetic rubber.
Marker is on University Avenue 0 miles east of Hill Street.
Courtesy hmdb.org
