00:00:00 Baseball has its heroes, like Babe Ruth, Ted Williams, Joe DiMaggio, Hank Aaron, and many, many others.

00:00:22 The accomplishments of these and countless other greats are recognized and enshrined in the Baseball Hall of Fame.

00:00:29 The plastics industry has its heroes, too, and they are recognized in the Plastics Hall of Fame.

00:00:35 At the Plastics Academy, we have the responsibility and privilege of honoring those unique individuals and inducting them into the Plastics Hall of Fame.

00:00:45 We are proud to acknowledge their efforts and their contributions to the plastics industry, and what an industry it is.

00:00:52 Last year, plastics contributed over $200 billion to the American economy and provided over 3 million jobs, and we're still growing.

00:01:02 But the impact reaches far beyond those who work in the industry. Plastics have become an important part of the daily lives of every American.

00:01:11 Think of it. Today, more things are made of plastics than all other materials combined.

00:01:17 They require less energy to produce, and they are recyclable. It's an impressive record for such a young industry.

00:01:24 Yet the growth of plastics didn't just happen. It took the unique genius and creative efforts of special individuals over many years who had the vision to see the future and the dedication to make it come true.

00:01:37 The names of these people and their achievements are permanently enshrined in the Hall of Fame at the National Plastics Center and Museum in Leominster, Massachusetts.

00:01:47 Included among the great contributors to the plastics industry are such geniuses as John Wesley Hyatt, who discovered the very first plastics material in 1869.

00:01:59 The material was cellulose nitrate, a replacement for the elephant tusk ivory used for making billiard balls.

00:02:07 His efforts saved a lot of elephants and started a whole new industry which changed the world we live in.

00:02:13 Hyatt also created plastic celluloid, which lay the foundation for the contributions of another giant of the plastics industry.

00:02:21 George Eastman is a name familiar to anyone who has ever used a roll of Eastman Kodak film.

00:02:28 Eastman was the individual who took Hyatt's plastic celluloid film in 1890 and chemically coated it to make inexpensive, flexible photographic film.

00:02:38 Eastman's development in plastics allowed the photographic industry to grow and made the entire motion picture industry possible.

00:02:46 Without his contributions, we'd still be using glass plates for film.

00:02:50 A name which is not as familiar as Eastman is Roy Plunkett.

00:02:54 Roy was a research chemist at DuPont. He discovered tetrafluoroethylene.

00:02:59 You may think you've never heard of it, but what if I called it by its common name, Teflon?

00:03:04 This marvelous non-stick plastics material is coated on practically all high-quality pots and pans today.

00:03:12 Anyone who has ever had to scrub the pots should be grateful to Roy Plunkett for this time-saving invention made possible with plastics.

00:03:19 And then there was Earl Tupper, who, after World War II, expanded the use of polyethylene into the renowned space-saving Tupperware, which is probably in everyone's refrigerator today.

00:03:31 And what about Saran Wrap made by Dow Plastics Company, which was begun by Willard H. Dow in 1930?

00:03:37 Today, Dow uses plastics in hundreds and hundreds of useful products.

00:03:41 And then there was Joe Foster of Foster Grant, whose work with plastics made high-quality, low-cost sunglasses available to all.

00:03:49 The list goes on and on with many others who helped build an industry while making our lives easier and more pleasurable because of their work with plastics.

00:03:59 The Hall of Fame reflects a heritage rich with innovation and vision.

00:04:03 Those inducted have become legends to be honored and admired.

00:04:06 On behalf of the members of the Plastics Academy, I invite you to take a few minutes and walk through the Hall of Fame exhibit,

00:04:13 review the summary of accomplishments of all those who have been inducted, and may their achievements serve as an inspiration to you and to future generations.

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