1971-Dr. Fay V. Tooley
Educator. University
of Illinois
Dr. Fay V. Tooley, Professor of Glass Technology at the
University of Illinois was named to receive the glass manufacturing industry's first Phoenix
Award.
Dr. Tooley earned his PhD in 1939 at the
University of Illinois. In 1940 he became affiliated with Owens-Corning Fiberglas Corporation
where he was director of research and development. Increased interest in
research and development in the glass industry was brought about by discoveries
during World War II and there was concern over the lack of skilled glass technologists.
Dr. Tooley left Owens-Corning and returned to the
University of Illinois where he took the position of Professor Glass Technology in the
department of ceramics.
Glass activity occupied much of the Doctor's busy career. He has been
the Director of the Glass Conference held bi-annually in
Urbana,
Illinois, an active member of the American Ceramic Society and
former chairman. Over 160 glass committees have had the benefit of his counsel
through the years. Dr. Tooley was also a member of the American Association for
the Advancement of Science, Sigma Xi research honorary, Alpha Chi Sigma, a
member of the International Commission on Glass, the United States Professional
Tennis Associations (for tennis teachers only) and the Professional Music Association
(of which he was an officer).
Dozens of papers and handbooks on glass have been printed over the
Tooley name and through his influence in guiding graduate students into the
glass technology field, many researchers are employed by the glass industry
today.
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1972 -Richard Cheney
President - GCMI
Mr. Richard Cheney was instrumental in the development of' the Glass
Container Manufacturers Institute, now the Glass Packaging Institute. He joined
GCMI in 1939 and was outstanding in his ability to organize the nation's glass
bottle manufacturers, large and small, into a strong association which
sponsored glass industry marketing programs, legislation campaigns and strong
environmental interests.
Mr. Cheney played a major role in the development of an associate
member group made up of suppliers to the glass industry with similar interests.
Mr. Cheney's legacy remains a viable industry advocate and lobby
devoted to the promotion of glass containers as the ideal means of marketing
quality products in completely recyclable packaging.
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1973 -Doctor James P. Poole
Vice President, Brockway Glass Co. Inc.
Doctor Poole has been associated with the glass industry since his
graduation from Pennsylvania State University with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Ceramics in
1940. While employed by Brockway Glass, he completed his work on a Doctor's
Degree, which was awarded to him in July 1947. He received the Frank Forest
Award for the most significant publication of the year in Glass Technology, and
the Chesterman Award for his work on the application of surface protective
coatings to glass containers. He holds fourteen basic patents on glass and is
the author of eleven technical papers. He maintains membership in the American
Ceramic Society, Keramos, Sigma XI, Society of Glass Technology, and the New
York Academy of Science.
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1974 -Edwin D. Dodd
President and CEO Owens-Illinois. Inc.
Edwin Dodd joined Owens-Illinois in 1946 fo11owing U.S. Army service on
General Douglas MacArthur's staff. He
held a number of executive positions over the ensuing 26 years and was elected
O-I's chief executive officer in 1972.
An ardent believer in the glass container as the world's best package,
Mr. Dodd has his own people hard at work selling the merits of glass as a
packaging material and recently called for the rest of the industry to join in
making the American people aware that the glass container is ideal from the
standpoint of utility, energy, conservation of resources, solid waste, litter,
product safety and health, air and water pollution, economics, life style and
convenience in our modem society.
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1975 -Dr. S. Donald Stookey
Research Director, Corning
Glass
Stanley Donald Stookey graduated magna cum laude from
Coe College in 1936 and received a doctorate in physical
chemistry from M.I.T. in 1940.
Dr. Stookey joined Corning Glass Works in 1940 and became involved in
the study of phase separation as it related to opal glasses. This was a
fortuitous beginning, because it placed a man of his creative ability in the
center of an almost unexplored field. In a relatively short time, Dr. Stookey
had absorbed the current knowledge of opal glass. Subsequent study and experimentation
led to a new family of materials called glass ceramics.
The importance of this discovery cannot be overestimated. It is now
possible to compound glass compositions that, when subsequently crystallized,
have properties, which are unattainable by conventional glass or ceramic
processes. The list grows continuously and confirms the value and usefulness of
this discovery, worldwide.
Dr. Stookey proceeded to develop the first stable photochromic glass
that suffers no fatigue on continued cycling. Dr. Stookey has been granted
forty-eight patents during his career in Corning and is the author of
twenty-nine publications. He was awarded an honorary doctor of science degree in 1963 from
Coe College.
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1976 - Doctor Roy S. Arrandale
Senior Vice President -Research and Engineering
Thatcher Glass
Manufacturing Company
Dr. Arrandale's distinguished
career in the glass industry began in 1941 when he joined Thatcher Glass
Manufacturing Company. He held various technical positions and in 1966 was
named Senior Vice President -Research and Engineering and Member of the Board.
He holds degrees from the University of' Illinois, Carnegie Institute of
Technology, and Yale University.
His membership in professional organizations includes the American Ceramic
Society, American Chemical Society, Society of Air Pollution Control, Keramos,
Sigma Xi, and The American Society for Testing Materials, among many. He is a
leading authority in the fields of glass technology fuels, furnaces and air
pollution control. His inventions include the "Shatter Guard" bottle.
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1977 -Dr. Dominick Labino
Glass Technologist, Industrialist,
Inventor.
Artist-Craftsman
Dr. Labino's association with glass extends over a period of
forty-three years, having served four glass-manufacturing firms in various
glass technology, research and development capacities. He started his career by
working in various technical capacities for Owens-Illinois, a container glass
manufacturer. He was one of the pioneers in the fiberglass field where his
ingenuity helped develop the fiberglass manufacturing process. He served as
Vice-President and Director of Research and Development for Glass Fibers, Inc.
His achievements continued as this firm merged with L-O-F Glass Fibers and
subsequently became part of Johns-Manville.
Dr. Labino holds 57 patents dealing with glass composition, furnace
design, and glass fiber forming and processing. Three of his inventions
involving glass fibers were utilized in the Gemini and Apollo spacecrafts.
Dr. Labino began to work with glass as an art form in 1962 by doing
free hand blowing of glass in his workshop near Grand Rapids, Ohio. Here, he has been able to fully utilize his
artistic talents in combination with his genius of the chemical and physical
properties of glass to achieve colored glass creations that are uniquely his
own. Dr. Labino is world-renowned for his glass art works, which have won
major awards. Many of these works are on display in museums throughout the
world.
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1978 -George B. Langer
General Manager of Production Engineering
Kerr Glass
Manufacturing Corporation
Fifty years ago, Mr. Langer began his association with the glass
industry as an employee with the U.S. Glass Company in Pittsburgh subsequently joining Kerr Glass in 1944 to become
Assistant Vice President-Engineering. He was the first engineer hired by Kerr
and during his career the firm grew from a three-furnace operation to a
fifteen-furnace company.
His span of experience ranged from home canning jars produced by Lynch
machines to the revolutionary Kerr-Heye press and blow process. George Langer
played an important role in evaluating this new process and negotiations
eventually resulted in a Kerr Glass/H. Heye Glasfabrik agreement permitting
licensing of the system in the United States and Canada. His contributions to
the glass industry go far beyond production engineering and his ability to
recognize and solve complex problems made him a truly unique individual.
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1979 -Beuther L. Schmidt
Technical Director of Furnace Engineering
Anchor Hocking Corporation
Following his graduation from the University of Louisville, Mr. Schmidt was associated with Aetna Oil Refining Company before
joining Corhart Refractories in Louisville as a chemist. It was his association with Corhart
that ultimately led Mr. Schmidt to Anchor Hocking in 1941.
At the time he joined Anchor
Hocking as a draftsman in the Furnace Engineering Department, the company had
twenty-one furnaces in service. Mr. Schmidt was soon named the head of Anchor
Hocking's Furnace Department in 1945, and later, Anchor Hocking's Technical
Director of Furnace Engineering. Anchor Hocking eventually had eleven glass
plants, with a total of thirty-seven furnaces in operation.
During his career Mr. Schmidt contributed to improving the level of
performance of both existing and newly designed furnaces. Among his notable
contributions were the development of a pier checker configuration for
borosilicate glasses that extends the checker life and the design of the two-throat
individual refiner furnace. A major contribution has been Mr. Schmidt's work in pioneering the
development of multi-pass regenerators for the glass furnaces to combat rising
energy costs by increasing the capacity of waste heat recovery systems.
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1980 -Frank H. Wheaton, Jr.
President and Chief Executive Officer
Wheaton Industries
As its chief executive officer, Mr. Wheaton has been instrumental in
the growth of Wheaton Industries, which now comprises ten divisions and is the
largest family-owned glass and plastic container manufacturing facility in the United States.
Joining the firm, then T.C. Wheaton Co., in 1932, Mr. Wheaton began as a laborer and rose rapidly to become
assistant to the president. In the five years following this 1934 appointment,
he served as project manager for the complete rebuild of the Wheaton plant and offices. Over the years, the Wheaton
operation has made many contributions to the glass industry, pioneering and
developing techniques, applications, and machinery for producing glass and
plastic containers.
Mr. Wheaton has always worked for the best interest of the glass
industry, and has been considered a "maverick" for contesting
interference by the government, OSHA, and anti- pollution groups. A project dear to Mr. Wheaton's
heart was realized with the construction of the historic Wheaton Village, a
re-creation of a typical early American glassmaking community, whose purpose is
to preserve the old skills of the glassmaking industry.
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1981- Sir Alastair Pilkington, F.R.S.
Former Chairman of Pilkington Brothers Ltd.
Sir Alastair Pilkington's development in 1952 of the float process for
the manufacture of flat glass has been universally recognized as one of the
major technological achievements of the post-war period. It has transformed a
major capital industry on a worldwide basis.
Sir Alastair subsequently headed the team that spent seven years
turning the idea into a manufacturing reality so that, through licensing
arrangements, the process is now utilized by some thirty manufacturers in
eighteen countries and has replaced the sheet and plate glass process in the
manufacture of most flat glass. The recently retired chairman of Pilkington Brothers Ltd. started his
career with the company in 1947, gaining early experience in both the Sheet and
Plate Glass Works. From the mid-1950's onward he was continually given greater
responsibilities including head of production, director of research and
development, deputy Chairman of the Boards of the Flat Glass and Fiber Glass
divisions, deputy Chairman of the Corporate Board and Chairman in 1973,
retiring from Pilkington in 1980. He now serves as a non-executive Director.
Sir Alastair, named a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1969 and knighted
in 1970, has received a number of honors for his inventions and development of
the float glass process.
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1982 -William A. Kerr
Chairman of the Board
Kerr Glass
Manufacturing Corporation
Following his graduation from the University of California in 1936,
William A. Kerr spent several years working with his family's glass business
before leaving to pursue a career in aviation. For the next fifteen years, he
served with TWA as co-pilot and captain, and with Northrup Aviation as
Director of Flight Operations.
When he returned to the family company as Executive Vice President in
1957, Kerr Glass Manufacturing Corporation consisted of three one-tank
factories operating twelve glass-forming machines. As a result of Mr. Kerr's
astute managerial and leadership skills, the next twenty-five years brought
acquisitions and construction which have made Kerr, with sixteen furnaces
throughout the country, one of the largest glass manufacturing operations in the
United States. Emphasis on product development and technical innovations has
been a major portion of Kerr Glass's strategy; the Kerr-Heye narrow neck press
and blow forming process, used to more rapidly produce lighter weight
containers without sacrificing strength, and the PVC wrap-around label used on
the single service "Ultra Performer" package are demonstrative of Mr.
Kerr's leadership qualities. In addition to his vital contributions to the glass industry, Mr.
Kerr's philanthropy in education fields is renown.
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1983 -Dr. William R. Prindle
Director of Administrative and Technical Services
Corning Glass Works
William R. Prindle earned his B.S. and M.S. degrees in Physical
Metallurgy from the University of California at Berkeley. He also received a
PhD from Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
With this educational background, Dr. Prindle entered industry with
Hazel Atlas Glass Division of Continental Can Co. rising to the position of
General Manager of Research and Development. His other service in industry and
government has included: American Optical Co., Ferro Corporation, the National
Materials Advisory Board, Washington, D.C., and Director of Administrative and
Technical Services, Research and Development Division, Corning Glass Works.
He has contributed a great deal of time and energy to the scientific
and engineering communities over the years. This service has included many
terms as an officer of the American Ceramic Society including the Presidency of
that organization in 1980-1981. He is a fellow the American Ceramic Society and
is a past Chairman and past Trustee of the Glass Division. He is a contributing
member of the National Institute of Ceramic Engineers and of the Ceramic
Education Council. At the University of California, he was affiliated with the
Institute of Engineering Research and at Massachusetts Institute of Technology
with the Division of Industrial Cooperation. He is a member of the Society of
Glass Technology (U.K.) and the U.S. representative on the steering committee
for the International Commission on Glass.
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1984 -Robert E. Utsler
Manager of Furnace Engineering
Kerr Glass
Robert E. Utsler began his career in 1933 in Zanesville, Ohio at the
Hazel-Atlas Glass Co. as a laborer in the shipping department. Fascinated by
both the construction and operation of glass furnaces, he determined to learn
as much about them as he could, and as he has noted, "almost 48 years
later, I am still learning".
According to Mr. Utsler, his "Big Break" came in late 1945,
when he was transferred to Hazel-Atlas No.2 plant in Washington, Pa., as head
of the mixing, melting, and annealing department. This department included four
large furnaces, 27 forehearths and lehrs, and a very large batch plant. In 1957
he was chosen to organize and manage a new quality control department where he
gained a wealth of information on furnace design and rebuilds.
In 1964 Mr. Utsler accepted a position with Kerr Glass Manufacturing
Corp. and was appointed director of furnace engineering and operations. In 1970
he was named manger of furnace engineering, furnace operations, and glass
formulation technology. His innovations on refractory
applications, insulating practices, and furnace design have been a valuable
contribution to the glass industry. He was an early advocate of batch wetting,
deeper furnaces, highly insulated furnaces and greater pull rates.
In 1977 his department was responsible for the design and construction
of two large furnaces and the batch mixing and delivery system at Kerr's new
plant in Wilson, N.C. This, in his opinion, was the highlight of his career. He
retired from Kerr Glass in 1981. Mr. Utsler has been active in
the American Ceramic Society and the Glass Problems Conference; he has chaired
sessions and presented many papers.
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1985 -William W. Boeschenstein
Chairman of the Board,
President and Chief Executive Officer
Owens-Corning Fiberglass Corporation
After his graduation from Yale University in 1950, William W.
Boeschenstein joined Owens-Corning Fiberglas where he held a number of sales,
management and marketing positions. In 1964, Mr. Boeschenstein became Vice
President-Marketing and served in that position until his election to Executive
Vice President in 1967. He was named President and Chief Operating Officer in
1971. In 1973, he was named Chief Executive Officer and in 1981 he became Chairman
of the Board.
Mr. Boeschenstein's commitment to research and development is
exemplified by the company's doubling the size of its research center in
Granville, Ohio. The facility -one of the industry's most sophisticated -now
has approximately 1,000 scientists, engineers and technicians working to expand
Owens-Corning's present capabilities, as well as to generate new product and
technological opportunities for both near-and long-term.
During his 12 years of leadership as CEO at Owens-Corning, the company
has grown from a building materials and fiberglass manufacturer with sales of
approximately $500 million to a strong multi-national corporation with sales in
excess of $3.5 billion. The company supplies a broad range of products and
materials to such diverse industries as construction, transportation, consumer
products, defense, and aerospace. During those years, Mr. Boeschenstein has been involved in the
company's growth to its ranking today as #134 on the Fortune 500 list.
Return to Recipient List
1986 -William M. Davidson
CEO
Guardian
Industries
William M. Davidson has been the driving force behind Guardian's growth
from a small, financially trouble, windshield manufacturer to a Fortune 500
multinational enterprise, with operations in all facets of flat glass
manufacturing as well as fiberglass production and photo processing.
Mr. Davidson has achieved this record with a management style that
focuses on fostering an entrepreneurial spirit, hands-on-management at all
levels, and an absence of corporate layers and bureaucratic red tape. By the late 60's Guardian had expanded into fabrication and
architectural glass, but was still dependent on others for its raw glass needs.
In 1970 Guardian opened a float glass plant, becoming the first new company to
enter the flat glass business in the U.S. in fifty years.
In the second half of the 70's, Guardian was a pioneer in the
development and application of coating technology, and remains an industry
leader today, with a full line of both low emissivity and reflective glass. Guardian entered the Western European glass market in 1981 by
constructing a new float facility in Luxembourg.
Today Guardian has seven float lines, two rolled glass manufacturing
facilities and eleven fabrication facilities, numerous automotive glass
wholesale distribution centers, and retail branches, two fiberglass insulation
manufacturing plants, nine photo finishing plants collectively employing over
6,000 persons. Mr. Davidson is an active
businessman, with interests that extend beyond Guardian, including a wholesale
drug distribution company, a surgical supply company, the Detroit Pistons
Basketball Club and Detroit area philanthropy.
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1987 -George W. Keller
Vice-President, Technical Control
Diamond Bathurst Glass
George W. Keller began his glass career at Owens-Illinois in 1949,
continuing later with Glass Containers Corporation, Chattanooga Glass,
Container General Corporation and Diamond Bathurst, Inc., specializing in the
manufacture of glass containers.
Mr. Keller's duties have encompassed the entire spectrum of glass
technology, with emphasis upon batch mixing and melting. Mr. Keller has been instrumental in the development of the increased
use of cullet, not only as a glass batch component, but as an ingredient in
such diverse products as terrazzo flooring, concrete blocks, and street paving.
Several patents related to glass composition have been co-authored by
Mr. Keller, and his hands-on involvement in day-to-day glass manufacturing
activity led to improvements in furnace life, capacity, and efficiency. The
recent use of computerization in batch and furnace applications has been
developed with Mr. Keller's participation. Mr. Keller is a veteran of the Air
Force in World War II, and a graduate of The University of Toledo. He has
served in technical advisory capacities in such groups as The American Ceramic
Society, The Glass Packaging Institute, American Society of Testing Materials,
and The U.S. Department of Energy Commission.
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1988 -R.D. (Dee) Hubbard
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
AFG Industries.
Inc.
After his graduation from Butler Community College in EI Dorado,
Kansas, Dee Hubbard began his glass industry career as a salesman for Safelite
Industries in Wichita. His energy and vision propelled him forward through
various management positions, culminating in his becoming president of that
company before starting out on his own.
In 1978, Hubbard merged Fourco Glass of West Virginia and ASG
Industries of Tennessee to form AFG Industries. The company now has six primary
glass plants in North America, located in Tennessee, West Virginia, New Jersey,
California, and Ontario, Canada, with a new plant under construction in Kansas.
During the past ten years Hubbard has built AFG into North America’s
second largest flat glass manufacturer and recently succeeded in taking the
firm private. Since 1980, revenues have increased at a 28% compound annual
rate; income has grown at a 58% rate; with sales last year totaling over $488
million. In recognition for this performance, Hubbard was named one of the top
chief executive officers in the nation in 1987 by "Financial World"
magazine.
Dee Hubbard is a lifetime member of the International Association of
Businessmen and Professionals Foundation for Outstanding Achievement. He has
been honored by Wichita State University through the dedication of the RD
Hubbard Hall on the University campus in recognition of his contributions
towards the founding of the educational institution's Center for
Entrepreneurship.
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1989 -Dr. Robert J. Ryder
Vice President
Owens-Brockway
Dr. Robert J. Ryder began his career as a Ceramic Engineer at Brockway
Glass Company, Inc. in 1959 rising to the position of Director and later Vice
President of Research and Development in Brockway's Glass Container Division.
Notable project developments include Dr. Ryder's introduction of wet and
instrumental analytical capabilities to support glass composition control
activities. Under his guidance, an Environmental Group was created to provide
support in the air, water and solid waste areas.
The capability to predict the emission characteristics of glass melting
furnaces was developed under Dr. Ryder's supervision. This development made it
possible to accurately predict that furnaces would operate in compliance with
regulatory requirements, thus saving significant capital.
From 1982 to 1988 Dr. Ryder served as Vice President -Technical
Services of the Glass Container Division. Since 1958, Dr. Ryder has authored and co-authored fourteen
glass-industry-related articles, which have been, published in various journals
and industry trade magazines. Dr. Ryder holds membership in the American
Ceramic Society, American Society for Quality Control, Society of Glass
Technology and other national and international industry related organizations.
He has served as Chairman of the Environmental Subcommittee of the Glass
Packaging Institute and is currently a member of the Technical Committee of
that organization.
Dr. Ryder received a B.S.
degree in Glass Technology from Alfred University in 1953. In 1955 he earned
his M.S. in Ceramic Technology at Penn State University, where he also received
his PhD in 1959. Presently, he is serving as technical assistant to the Vice
President of Package Quality Assurance of Owens-Brockway Glass Containers
Corporation.
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1990 -Ernesto Martens R.
CEO. Vitro S.A.
Ernesto Martens R. career began in 1958 as Control Engineer at Union
Carbine Mexicana, S.A., where he served in various positions culminating in
being named Chief Executive Officer in 1973. In 1977, he joined Vitro, S.A. as
Vice President of the Vitro Containers Division and became President of that
division less than a year later. In 1985, he was named President, CEO and a
director of Vitro, S.A.
In addition to his duties with Vitro, S.A., Mr. Martens also serves as
a board member of Almacenadora del Norte, S.A. and Chairman of the Board of
Regioempresas, S.A. and Hulnort, S.A. In 1985, he served as President of the
Industrial Chamber of the State of Nuevo Leon. Recently, he was inducted as
President of the Latin-American Glass Association -Alaprovi.
Mr. Martens was instrumental in the recent purchase of Vitro, S.A. of
Anchor Glass Container Corporation of Tampa, Florida and Latchford Glass
Company of Huntington Park, California. He serves as Chairman and Chief
Executive Officer of this new amalgamation.
Mr. Martens holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering
from the Instituto Technologico y de Estudios Superiores of Monterrey, Mexico
and earned an MBA degree from the Technological Institute of Karlsruhe,
Germany.
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1991-John F. Wosinski
Project Director, Research
Corning. Inc.
John F. Wosinski began his professional career in 1956 as a geologist
for the U.S. Geological Survey in Boston, Mass.
In 1958, he accepted a position as a mineralogist for Corning,
Incorporated, and after serving in various positions within the corporation, he
was appointed Project Manager of Refractories in the Research, Development and
Engineering Division of Corning, Incorporated. During more than 30 years at
Corning he played an integral part in the evolutionary process of refractory
specification, development, approval, and enforcement. Through his leadership
and efforts, Corning improved refractory life and minimized defects in glass,
leading to increased output, improvement in quality and a reduction in overall
cost.
Under his direction, Corning was able to successfully melt and produce
several new families of glass, including Corning Ware, Vision Top-of-the Range
Ware, Centum, Corelle and Suprema dinnerware, Chemcore photochromic materials,
and photosensitive glasses.
He presented two test methods that became U.S. standards for glass
refractory testing by ASTM. His dedication to glass refractory testing led him
to the optimum process necessary to manufacture oxidized, fuse-cast refractories
in the United States. Wosinski has authored more than 30 articles which appeared in numerous
engineering and scientific journals on subjects related to modem and ancient
glasses and ceramics, refractory testing and applications, and naturally
occurring glasses on Earth and the Moon.
As a result of his vast knowledge and avid scientific and engineering
interest in the field of glass technology, archaeology, geology and space, NASA
appointed Wosinski as the Principal of Lunar Samples, Apollo 14 and 15 Missions
to study the glasses found on the lunar surface. He is also associated with the
Corning Museum of Glass and the Smithsonian Institute, through which he
participated in the excavations of an early American Glass factory in Amelung,
Maryland, as well as excavations in Jalamie and Beth Shearim, Israel.
John received his B.S. degree in geology from Denison University in
1953. His M.S. degree, also in geology, was attained in 1958 from Brown
University. John Wosinski has received several honors of distinction; in 1966, he
was named an Outstanding Young Man of America; in 1978, he received a
distinguished Alumni Citation from Denison University; and in 1987, the
American Society for Testing Materials honored him with an Award of
Appreciation for Distinguished Service.
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1992-Franklin H. Green
Executive Vice President
PPG
Franklin H. Green is a native of Griffin, Georgia, and served in the US
Navy during World War II. Upon his discharge, he entered Clemson University and
received his Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering in 1950.
Green began his professional career in 1951 with Owens-Corning
Fiberglas Corporation. He was on the
startup staff for Owens Corning's Anderson, South Carolina plant, the first
direct melt, continuous strand glass fiber plant in the world. In 1952, he
joined the newly formed Fiber Glass Division of Pittsburgh Plate Glass as
resident engineer during construction and plant startup of a new facility in
Shelbyville, Indiana.
In 1966, Frank Green became Production Manager of the Fiber Glass
Division of PPG, Vice President of Manufacturing in 1968, and Vice President of
Fiber Glass Reinforcement Products in 1980. In 1983, he was elected Vice
President/General Manager of the Fiber Glass Division and Vice President of
Fiber Glass Products in 1984 when glass fiber operations became a part of the
PPG Glass Group.
Green's insight and innovative marketing strategies helped carry PPG
Industries successfully and rapidly into new and international fiberglass
markets. During this time he was Chairman of the Board of the PPG Fiber Glass
Corporation joint venture, with a new plant in Chia Yi, Taiwan, which started
in 1991; Chairman of the Board of a subsidiary in Wigan, England, acquired in
1987, and Chairman of the Board of a Netherlands joint venture as well as a
member of the Board of Directors of a joint venture in Venezuela.
During his career with PPG, Green registered three patents for
the glass fiber process and served as a member of PPG's Chief Executive
Committee for 1968 through 1971. He was elected a life member of the PPG Collegium
in 1990.
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1993 -Harold A. McMaster
Founder, Chairman
Glasstech. Inc.
Harold A. McMaster, Chairman, Business Entrepreneur, Inventor and
Philanthropist has played a significant role in the industrial and commercial
climate in Toledo.
Mr. McMaster developed the air-float method of tempering glass,
significantly reducing the cost of producing car windshields and
revolutionizing the automobile manufacturing industry. He developed Glasstech, Inc. into the leader in design and construction
of bending and tempering systems for the worldwide automotive and architectural
market. He co-founded Glasstech Solar, Inc., which became a leader in the
development of amorphous silicon technology. This led to co-founding Solar
Cells, Inc., which manufactured a new type of solar module that converts
sunlight directly into electricity.
He has published more than a dozen articles and authored a chapter on
annealing and tempering of autoglass in The Handbook of Glass Manufacturing. Mr. McMaster holds more than 60 patents currently in use in the glass
industry as well as 10 additional patents on rotary engines and solar energy
applications.
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1994 -I. Kyun Byun
Vice Chairman
Hankuk Glass
Industries
Mr. Byun is the Vice Chairman of Hankuk Glass Industries Co., Ltd., the
President and CEO of Hankuk Electric Glass Co., Ltd. and the Chairman of Hankuk
Specialty Glass Co., Ltd. He was born in
1926 in Seoul, Korea and attended middle school there, graduating in 1944. His
education continued, in Chemical Engineering at Seoul National University with
graduation in May 1950.
Mr. Byun pursued graduate work in chemical engineering at Michigan
Institute of Technology, graduating in June 1956. Mr. Byun then studied glass
technology research at Alfred University with graduation in June 1957.
Mr. Byun's career began at Hankuk Glass Industries Co., Ltd. as Vice
Chief Engineer in March 1957 where he was responsible for all glass
manufacturing technology. Recognized for his technical and managerial
leadership, he was promoted to Director of Hankuk Glass Industries Co., Ltd. in
May 1966. In 1982, he was elevated to the position of Vice Chairman of Hankuk
Glass Industries Co., Ltd., currently the largest manufacturer of glass
products in Asia (outside of Japan), and one of the top 10 glass companies in
the world. During his work at Hankuk, he continued his interest and
participation in the scientific community as he was Vice President from 1987 to
1990 of "The Korean Federation of Science & Technology
Societies".
Mr. Byun is credited with being
instrumental in bringing the flat glass industry to life in Korea and for his
development of mass production of borosilicate glasses used in microwave ovens
and headlight lenses. When Hankuk Electric Glass Co. began producing television
glass bulbs in 1974, Mr. Byun was made President to direct this company to
become the sixth largest such producer in the world.
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1995 -John McConnell
Manager, Float Glass Engineering
PPG
John McConnell is a Pittsburgh native, a graduate of Langley High
School and received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Mechanical Engineering from
Bucknell University. Upon graduation, he served in the U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers, attaining the rank of Captain.
Joining PPG Industries in 1965, McConnell has contributed significantly
to the technical development of its manufacturing operations for 30 years.
These areas include fabricating, forming, tempering, batching systems, furnace
design and operation, ware rooms, glass inspection systems and all the support
systems.
Mr. McConnell has handled international assignments in 20 countries
worldwide since his first South American assignment where he successfully
designed, installed and handled the start-up of a new automotive tempering
facility. He was the lead designer who directed the transition from early sheet
and plate methods of manufacturing glass to the current float glass process. In
his present position he is responsible for the engineering plans for all Float
Glass Plants constructed by PPG worldwide including design, installation, and
capital spending for furnace repairs and other process equipment projects. His
expertise has resulted in the doubling of the daily output Tonnage from PPG's
furnaces and he holds several patents within the Flat Glass Industry.
He has served for 12 years on
the Advisory Board of the Glass Problems Conference and as Session Chairman. He
actively supports Bucknell University by using his skills to assist the
school's engineering department. He is a registered Professional Engineer with
licenses in Pennsylvania, Ohio and California and has held several offices in
the American Society of Mechanical Engineers and is a member of 1the American
Ceramic Society.
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1996 -Dr. L. David Pye
Educator
Alfred University
Dr. L. David Pye, dean of the New York State College of Ceramics at
Alfred University, began his formal studies at Alfred University, earning a
Bachelor of Science degree in Ceramic Engineering in 1959. He did graduate work
at the University of Rochester, earning a degree in Materials Science in 1963,
and achieved a doctoral degree in Ceramic Science in 1968 from Alfred
University.
Dr. Pye's experiences highlight his commitment to glass. His career
began at PPG Industries, Melting and Forming Laboratory in 1959. He worked as a
Research Engineer at the Glass Research Labs of Bausch and Lomb, Inc. and then
accepted an assistant professorship of Glass Science, New York State College of
Ceramics, at Alfred University in 1968, advancing to the position of Associate
Professor in 1974. He became Department Chair in 1969 and Professor of Glass
Science in 1980.
There are numerous and prominent contributions in the world of
education and glass research attributed to Dr. Pye. Through his efforts, Alfred
University has won the national competition, establishing its campus as the
National Science Foundation sponsor of the Industry-University Center for Glass
Research. This July he was honored as its founding director at the 10th
anniversary dinner celebration of the Center for Glass Research. He has
presented many public lectures including his most recent one at the Department
of Energy sponsored Symposia on Glass held in Washington, D.C. Dr. Pye has organized and co-edited the proceedings of seven
international conferences, published more than 70 technical articles and
delivered approximately 100 lectures and papers at various meetings, seminars,
and workshops.
Dr. Pye was named President-elect of the International Commission on
Glass. He also was recently elected as a member of the International Academy of
Ceramics. He has chaired the American Ceramic Society, Glass Division, and most
recently has become a Trustee of the ACS Glass and Optical Materials Division.
Return to Recipient List
1997 -Joseph H. Lemieux
Chairman and CEO
Owens-Illinois. Inc.
Joseph Lemieux, Chairman of the Board of Directors and Chief Executive Officer
of Owens-Illinois, Inc. is a summa cum laude graduate of Bryant College in
Providence, Rhode Island, where he received a bachelor degree in Business
Administration and Finance. Mr. Lemieux then served four years with the
Strategic Air Command in the United States Air Force during the period of the
Korean War.
A native of Providence, Rhode Island, Mr. Lemieux's career with
Owens-Illinois began in 1957 as an administrative trainee. Since those early
years, Mr. Lemieux has been an influential presence in the glass container
industry. Having served on the Owens-Illinois Board of Directors since 1984,
Mr. Lemieux was chosen President and Chief Operating Officer in 1986, and was
elected to his present position as Chief Executive Officer in 1990 and Chairman
of the Board in 1991.
The Phoenix Committee has recognized Mr. Lemieux for his contribution
in leading Owens-Illinois to its current position in the glass container
manufacturing industry. During his tenure, the company became the largest
manufacturer of glass containers in the United States, North and South America,
and India, and the second largest in Europe. With glass container operations in
17 countries, it is noteworthy that 50% of all glass containers worldwide are
manufactured by Owens-Illinois, its affiliates, or its technical-assistance
licensees. In 1996, Owens-Illinois reported net earnings of $191.1 million the
highest for any year in the history of the company.
Mr. Lemieux was a Founding Trustee in 1982 of GPI's Industry'Union
Glass Container Promotion Program, known as the "Nickel Solution" and
is an active supporter of community and educational endeavors. In the worldwide
glass arena, Mr. Lemieux currently serves as a Director of Consol Limited, the
largest glass container manufacturer in South Africa, and United Glass, Ltd.,
the largest glass container manufacturer in the United Kingdom.
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1998 -Dale Chihuly
Glass Artist
If one person has been responsible for transforming the scope and
reputation of glass as an artistic medium, it is Dale Chihuly. Glass, once
considered decorative rather than aesthetic, has risen to the ranks of high
art, ascending from the tables of craft shows to the pedestals of art museums,
thanks primarily to the efforts of Dale Chihuly. Chihuly has shown his work in solo and group
exhibitions throughout the world and is one of only three Americans to have had
a solo exhibition at the Louvre.
Chihuly was born in Tacoma, Washington. He received a B.A. from the
University of Washington in 1965, an M.S. from the University of Wisconsin in
1967, and an M.F.A. from the Rhode Island School of Design in 1968. While a
student at the University of Washington, he experimented with glass as an
aesthetic element and in 1966 studied with glassblower Harvey Littleton, who
himself had sparked a glass renaissance. In 1968, two Fulbright Fellowships
allowed him to study the art of glass making in Venice.
The artist's studio, now located in a scenic boathouse on Lake Union in
Seattle, is a busy workshop of crew members, each of whom plays an essential
role from glassblower, to installation designer, to registrar. In 1971 Chihuly, with support from Seattle area art patrons, founded
the Pilchuck Glass School on a modest farm north of Seattle. The school has
since burgeoned into a major art hub, enrolling over 250 students at a time.
Similarly, Seattle has become a glassmaking epicenter, housing over thirty-five
hot shops.
Chihuly is cognizant of the complex fragile nature of glass and within
these borders of controlled accident Chihuly not only operates, but prospers. Dale Chihuly is, without question, the world's premier glass artist
Return to Recipient List
1999 -Ms. Alev Yaraman
Executive Vice President
SISECAM
Ms. Alev Yaraman was born in Antakya, Turkey, received her bachelor's
degree in Chemistry from the Middle East Technical University and a Master of
Science degree from the University of Sheffield in England.
In 1970, Ms. Yaraman joined SISECAM as a Research and Development
Engineer and progressed rapidly, displaying technical skill and leadership,
helping SISECAM grow.
In 1977, Ms. Yaraman was appointed Research and Development manager and
under her leadership, the Group's Research and Development flourished, enabling
scientists and engineers to focus on glass technology, energy conservation and
environmental concerns. In 1984, Ms. Yaraman was promoted to Vice President
-Technical Division and became Group Coordinator in 1991. She was then
appointed Chief Executive of the Glassware (Tableware) Group in 1994 and Chief
Executive of the Flat Glass Group in 1997. Ms. Yaraman also serves on the
Executive Committee of SISECAM, the only major glass company to grow from
internal business (vs. acquisition) at the rate of 15% per year, in recent
years.
SISECAM is the only glass manufacturer in Turkey producing containers,
tableware, float glass, borosilicate, domestic and scientific glass, soda ash,
glass machinery, mold closures and fiber packing.
As an industry leader, Ms. Yaraman is active in the American Ceramic
Society, the International Commission on Glass, and the Steering Committee and
Technical Committee on Education and Training in Science and Engineering. Her
service to the industry also includes chairing the European Domestic Glass
Committee and Chair of Coordinating Technical Committee (1992-1997). Ms.
Yaraman was also honored by being named a Fellow of the Society of Glass
Technology. Her achievements and contributions also include authoring and
co-authoring many national and international scientific papers and periodicals.
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2000 -Roger O'Shaughnessy
President
Cardinal IG
Company
The glass industry recognizes Roger O'Shaughnessy for his active
involvement in making Cardinal IG Company the first producer of LoE coated
glass for residential use on a mass production scale. As Cardinal IG Company's
President since 1967, O'Shaughnessy played an integral part in expanding the
company with its first float glass facility in Menomonie, Wisconsin, which opened in 1992. Today, Cardinal has eighteen
glass manufacturing and fabricating facilities throughout the United States with 4,000 employees. Cardinal's four coating facilities
have produced more than 400 million square feet of coated glass since
initiating these products in 1984.
Though raised in South Dakota, Mr. O'Shaughnessy attended the University of Minnesota, and began working for Cardinal in 1963. At this early point of his
career, Mr. O'Shaughnessy was active in trade association and ASTM Standards
work.
In 1987, Mr. O'Shaughnessy and his management group bought the M.L.
Gordon Family Trust shares of Cardinal IG Company. The company remains
privately owned today.
Return to Recipient List
2001
– Mr. Claude Picot
Senior
Vice-President
Compagnie
de Saint-Gobain
Mr.
Claude Picot’s outstanding business acumen brought Saint-Gobain to the
strategic forefront as one of the world’s leading producers of glass
containers.
Claude
Picot was born in France on October 11, 1937 and is a graduate of the School of
Mines in Paris. He also studied at
INSEAD (the international business school at Fontainebleau) and the Stanford
Graduate School of Business, before going to work for Corning Glass Works in
1963 as an engineer in that company’s glass operations in France.
After holding several positions in manufacturing, he became plant
manager, and soon thereafter was made general manager.
In
1979, Mr. Picot joined Saint-Gobain and moved swiftly up the executive ladder to
his present position as senior vice-president of Compagnie de Saint-Gobain.
He also holds other positions in the company as chairman of Saint-Gobain
Containers, chief executive officer of Saint-Gobain Emballage (packaging), and
is director of several Saint-Gobain subsidiaries.
Saint-Gobain
Containers is the largest glass container manufacturer in Europe, following an
aggressive expansion from 1988 to 1992, and the second largest glass container
manufacturer in the United States following the acquisition and subsequent
merger of Ball Glass and Foster-Forbes in 1995.
This growth was directed largely by Mr. Picot.
Based
in Paris, Saint-Gobain is the largest glass company in the world, producing flat
glass, glass containers, and fiberglass (both insulation and reinforcing
fibers.) In addition, it is also
the world’s largest manufacturer of building materials and produces high
performance plastics, piping, and abrasives, and employs more that 170,000
employees in 46 countries. Saint-Gobain
also has the distinction of being one of the world’s oldest glass companies,
having been established in 1665 by King Louis XIV to produce, among other
things, the glass for his palace at Versailles, including the famous Hall of
Mirrors.
In
addition to his company responsibilities, Mr. Picot also serves as chairman of
the Laboratoire National d’Essais, a public institution dedicated to testing,
research, and standards, similar to the National Institute for Standards and
Technology in the U.S.
Mr.
Picot is married and has three children.
Claude Picot received the Phoenix Award at a formal
dinner on September 28, 2001 in Philadelphia.
Return to Recipient List
2002
– Mr. Y.C. Lin
Taiwan
Glass Industry Group
Mr.
Lin is recognized in the Asian glass-making arena as a leader in the
introduction of new glass technology to the region.
As a result of his efforts, the Taiwan Glass Industry Group has grown
rapidly to become a leading manufacturer of float glass, rolled glass, glass
containers, tableware, fiberglass, and woven glass fiber fabric.
Because
of his work in building a successful glass export business, Mr. Lin not only
received recognition from the Taiwan government, but also became chairman of the
Taiwan Glass Industry Group. In
1964, when the United States aid to Taiwan was terminated, the Taiwan
government, needing to gain foreign exchange funds through exports, called upon
Mr. Lin to build a plant capable of producing glass of exportable quality.
He accepted the challenge, and with only 27 shareholders built a plant
making sheet glass by the Fourco process for 150 million Taiwan dollars.
With a
license from Pilkington, Mr. Lin installed his first float glass furnace in
Taiwan, and followed that with two more furnaces.
He has since built two float glass lines in China; a third in Chengdu is
under construction, and a fourth plant is on the drawing board.
The Chengdu plant will bring the corporation’s total capacity to over 1
million tons of glass per year.
The
Taiwan Glass Industry Group is also recognized as one of the top five fiberglass
manufacturers in Asia, producing 50,000 tons per year.
Much of this glass fiber is woven into fabric that is used as
reinforcement in the plastic circuit boards for the very large electronic
industry of the region.
Mr.
Lin attributes his company’s success to its willingness to learn about and
adopt new glass processes. He has
personally made 40 trips around the world, visiting suppliers and industry
leaders in search of the latest technology.
The
company continues to expand the glass industry in China from retained earnings.
Today, the corporation is worth 112 billion Taiwan dollars ($960 million
US) in paid-up capital, with 35,000 shareholders, and is debt-free. In 2001, the company had revenues of $407 million US and
employed 5,700 people.
Y.C.
Lin was presented with the Phoenix Award at a formal banquet September 13, 2002
in Portland, Oregon.
Return to Recipient List
2003
– Mr. John T. Brown
Technical
Director
Glass
Manufacturing Industry Council
John T. Brown began his
career as an engineer in 1963 with Corning Glass Works, now Corning
Incorporated, in the Melting Technology Department of Technical Staffs Division.
He worked with plant melting problems as a petrograher, with furnace repair
inspection, refractory testing and plant melting service responsibilities. As a
liaison with Research, he participated with development of the galvanic oxygen
reboil theory and implemented the practice in several glasses, most importantly
fusion glass for automotive windshields.
In 1969 he transferred to
the Electronics Products Division, with three plants, to lead the product
development group located in Bradford, PA. There he led a group of engineers and
technicians in developing very low ohm resistors that were the basis of
AT&T’s first touch tone telephones. John’s team also developed new UV
cured coatings that allowed manufacturing of precision resistors to increase
from 70 per minute to 700 per minute, as well as a series of sensors and
actuators for the automotive industry.
In 1974 he returned to
corporate development to work with a new acquisition, Zircoa. He developed
several methods to apply platinum coatings on a partially stabilized zirconium (PSZ)
and to define the ionic oxygen carrying characteristics of the material. Using
the PSZ material and precious metal coating techniques developed by John and his
team resulted in sensor survival in automobile exhausts as well as boilers and
glass furnaces.
Following the oil embargo in
1975, Corning was selected by the government as a benchmark company for the
Glass Industry to measure the reduction of energy. John was responsible for the
melting side of Corning, which represented 90% of Corning’s energy use. John
helped lead the effort to develop measures to compare furnaces of different
life, pull, cullet ratio and electric boost. With these numbers, better planning
and realistic return on investment could be employed in furnace repairs.
The data showed that the
majority of energy in regenerative furnaces was lost through the large ports and
crowns. Oxy/fuel firing had been suggested but previous trials had ended in
disaster. By eliminating water cooling and using high temperature zirconium as a
burner block, the most serious drawbacks of breast wall and crown damage were
eliminated.
Brown’s Corning team
developed individual oxygen and fuel flow controls that could be made to be
non-linear, accommodating all firing conditions. After converting most of
Corning’s furnaces, the process was shared with the glass industry. Today,
nearly all types of furnaces have successfully demonstrated conversion.
For the last ten years of
his career he returned to Research working on new combustion systems and
manufacturing processes for fiber, photonics and high-purity silica products.
After nearly 40 years with
Corning John began a second career as technical Director of the Glass
Manufacturing Industry Council (GMIC) in August of 2002. His approach to life
continues to be one of continuous learning and investigation, to find new ways
and better ways to solve the challenges of manufacturing glass.
Over the course of his
career he has authored and presented over 50 papers and has 15 patents, 12 still
active and three currently pending. His contributions, particularly in areas of
energy management and oxy/fuel firing techniques have become building blocks for
the entire glass industry.
John is married to Margo
(Thompson) and they have two sons, both engineers, and an eight month old
grandson (potential engineer).
In addition to a love of
glass, John has a love of music of all kinds. He is still performing on trumpet
with a Dixieland Band, Classical Brass Works, Stage Band and marches with the
Community Band. He has recently started taking lessons on the cello.
He is a graduate of The Ohio
State University, Bachelor of Ceramic Engineering in 1963 and MBA from Syracuse
University in 1972.
John T. Brown was presented
with the Phoenix Award at a formal banquet in Corning, NY on September 26, 2003
Return to Recipient List
2004
– Mr. Alonso Gonzalez, Jr.
President
Grupo
Pavisa
Alonso Gonzalez, Jr.
joined his family’s business, Grupo Pavisa, as Assistant Plant Manager after
graduating Magna Cum Laude from Alfred University in 1982 with a Bachelor of
Science Degree in Ceramic Engineering. As a young engineer, Mr. Gonzalez
brought a vision of automation and productivity improvements to the company.
Early in his career, he used his knowledge of combustion furnace design to
implement immediate productivity improvements. Under his direction, Grupo
Pavisa also became one of the first glass container companies in the world to
introduce the use of oxy/fuel combustion furnaces in the production of glass
containers.
As Mr.
Gonzalez gained knowledge and experience about the varied possibilities of
glass, he had an even greater vision of further automating the process.
With the cooperation of suppliers who shared his vision, Mr. Gonzalez introduced
the use of robotics to the semi-automatic production of cosmetics and specialty
glass. Although the number of products produced with semi-automatic
machinery has decreased from contributing 80% of the revenues of Grupo Pavisa in
1982 to about 20% today, this segment of the business still enjoys an above
average growth rate.
Mr. Gonzalez is as much
recognized for his business acumen as for his technical achievements. As
president of Grupo Pavisa, he introduced new products that took advantage of the
many distinct properties of glass, resulting in a significant expansion of the
business. In addition, Mr. Gonzalez recognized that diversifying into
related businesses would allow Grupo Pavisa to enhance its position in a highly
competitive market. Today, the company is involved in decorating and recycling
businesses, and is recognized as one of the largest suppliers of cullet in
Mexico.
In the early 1990s, Mr.
Gonzalez’s artistic side emerged and gave birth to a new company named Nouvel.
At the time, he wanted to capitalize on the use of glass as a means of artistic
expression since contemporary glass art was virtually non-existent in Mexico.
Nouvel is dedicated to the production of limited crystal art pieces, which can
be found in Mexico, the United States, Europe and Asia.
Mr.
Gonzalez takes a great deal of pride in working with suppliers towards the
achievement of innovative improvements for the glass industry. He sees
energy costs as the biggest threat to the glass industry. In conjunction
with suppliers, he is currently working towards improvements to furnace
combustion systems and longer lasting refractories for furnace crowns. Mr.
Gonzalez always keeps an open mind. If an innovative project makes sense,
will add value to Grupo Pavisa, and benefit the glass industry, he is not
hesitant to champion the effort.
Mr.
Gonzalez’s love for competition and the arts plays an important part in his
personal life as well. He enjoys golf and squash and, for more relaxing
activities, scuba diving and playing the piano. Mr. Gonzalez has stated
that, “Working in a family business brings a delicate balance between what is
good for the family and what is good for the business, and I am thankful that at
Grupo Pavisa we are able to balance both through an exceptional family and
working relationship with my two brothers. The key is that we concentrate
on adding value, not necessarily growth, as growth comes with value.”
Mr.
Gonzalez has been married for twenty years to his wife, Lisa. They have
two daughters, Sophia and Anna Maria.
Alonso Gonzalez was presented
with the Phoenix Award at a formal banquet held at the University Club of Mexico
in Mexico City on September 17, 2004
Return to Recipient List
2005 - Mr. Helmut A.
Schaeffer
International Commission of Glass Steering Committee
Helmut A. Schaeffer, member of the
International Commission of Glass Steering Committee, has been designated the
thirty-fifth recipient of the Phoenix Award. Mr. Schaeffer was selected for the
award in recognition of his many contributions to the glass industry.
During his high school education,
Mr. Schaeffer was privileged to be a recipient of the American Field Service
scholarship which enabled him to attend Wooster School in Danbury, CT. After
graduating in 1956, he returned to Germany to finish his high school education
and his undergraduate studies at the Technical University of Berlin. In 1965,
he completed his Diploma thesis (corresponding to a MS degree) entitled
“Magneto-optical effects of gadolinium and terbium”, and commenced his PhD work
at the Max Planck Institute for Silicate Research in Würzburg. The title of his
theses was “Mass spectrometric determination of oxygen-18 diffusion in lead
silicate glasses”.
In 1969, Mr. Schaeffer followed
his PhD adviser, Professor Dr. Heribert Oel, to the newly founded Institute of
Materials Science at the University of Erlangen-Nürnberg. Along with teaching
courses in glass science and glass technology and supervising MS and PhD
students, he performed research in the fields of glass structure, transport
phenomena, glass surface modification, and redox reactions in glass melts. In
1980, he completed the “Habilitation” (Dr.-Ing. Habil.) with a thesis entitled:
“Oxygen and silicon diffusion in silicate glasses”. In 1982, he was appointed
Professor of Materials Science (Glass and Ceramics).
During his time at the university,
Mr. Schaeffer also participated in other scholarly activities. From 1974 to
1975, he attended the Institute for Materials Research, National Bureau of
Standards (now NIST) in Washington D.C. on a scholarship from the Max Kade
Foundation to study volatilization processes of sodium from glass melts. During
the years 1977 and 1979, he was a visiting scientist at the Houldsworth School
of Applied Sciences in the Department of Ceramics. And in 1982, Mr. Schaeffer
was a visiting professor at the New York State College of Ceramics, Alfred
University.
In 1985, he became Managing Director of the Research Association of the German
Glass Industry (HVG) and the German Society of Glass Technology (DGG). HVG is a
non-profit association and is comprised of company members in the glass
manufacturing and supply industries. HVG receives funding from the German
Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs to carry out practice-oriented, cooperative
research projects in close collaboration with university departments. DGG is a
scientific-technical society which represents its technical committee work,
offers advanced teaching courses and organizes national and international
conferences. During Mr. Schaeffer’s service, he initiated research in the field
of situ sensors and developed a device for non-destructive testing of
fusion-cast refractories. Situ sensors monitor the glass melt behavior by means
of electrochemical devices for determining oxygen activity and redox phenomena
as well as devices to monitor the furnace atmosphere. Since the late 1980s, HVG/DGG
and the Center for Glass Research in Alfred, NY alternately organize the
conference “Advances in the Fusion and Processing of Glass.”
Mr. Schaeffer also served as editor of the International Journal of Glass
Science and Technology which he changed from German into English in 1987.
Mr. Schaeffer’s involvement with the International Commission of
Glass (ICG) started in 1987 when he initiated a new technical committee dealing
with “Gases in Glass”. He served as chairman of this committee from 1978 until
1983. In 1983, he began to serve as a member of the Coordinating Technical
Committee (CTC). From 1987 until 1992 he served as chairman of the CTC,
coordinating and supervising the work of the twenty technical committees. From
1992 through 1997 he again was a member of the CTC. In 1997, Mr. Schaeffer was
elected vice-president of the ICG and from 2000 until 2003 he served as
president, being responsible for the organization of the XIX International
Congress on Glass in Edinburgh in 2001. Since 2003, Mr. Schaeffer has been
serving as a member of the ICG Steering Committee.
Return to Recipient List
2006 - Dr. Warren W.
Wolf, Jr. President
The American Ceramic
Society
Dr. Warren W. Wolf, Jr. retired as Vice President and Chief Scientist, Emeritus,
from Owens Corning in 2001 after 33 years of employment. Throughout his
career he held both senior scientist and then technical management positions in
research, engineering, and environmental and health sciences with considerable
involvement in manufacturing. He holds 15 patents in glass fiber process
and composition. Owens Corning presented Dr. Wolf with numerous
awards for his patent contributions, as well as a lifetime achievement award.
Dr. Wolf provided strong leadership in research to determine the effects of
glass fibers inhaled into the lungs. His team conducted animal studies and
simulated laboratory work that provided results leading the International
Association on Research in Cancer (IARC) to issue a statement in 2001 removing
concern over glass fibers as a carcinogen.
Dr. Wolf has remained active in retirement and is currently the President of The
American Ceramic Society (ACerS). He serves on advisory boards at Virginia
Tech, The Ohio State University, and Mississippi State University. He has
consulted for The United States Department of Energy and for The Glass
Manufacturing Industry Council, where he is an emeritus member. He chairs
a Technical Committee of the International Commission on Glass on the
Biosolubility of Glass Fibers. He is a member and past president of the
National Institute of Ceramic Engineers (NICE). Additionally, Dr. Wolf was
instrumental in setting up what was to become the NSF Center for Glass Research
at Alfred University.
Dr. Wolf was honored in 1997 by presenting the Arthur L. Friedberg Lecture at
the annual meeting of the ACerS. In 2003 he received the Greaves-Walker
Award from NICE for services in ceramic engineering.
Dr. Wolf holds a B.A. from The Pennsylvania State University, a PhD in ceramic
engineering from The Ohio State University, and an MBA from Xavier
University. He has been honored as a Distinguished Alumnus from the
College of Engineering at Ohio State, and as a Fellow of the College of Earth
and Minerals Sciences at Penn State.
Dr. Wolf is married to Linda who is a psychoanalyst, and is father to seven
children and has six grandchildren. The couple resides in Reynoldsburg,
Ohio, near Columbus.
Return to Recipient List
2007 - Helmut Swarovski
Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer
D. Swarovski & Co.
Helmut Swarovski was named the thirty–seventh recipient of the Phoenix Award, which is given to recognize the “Glass Person of the Year.”
Mr. Swarovski was unanimously selected for the award in recognition of his many contributions in the fields of glass melting with
optical purity, design and automation of crystal
grinding and polishing technologies and precision
faceting and surface polishing. Mr. Swarovski
has spear headed the family business’ expansion
over the past thirty years. It is now the largest
manufacturer of cut crystal in the world, supplying
the fashion industry, the fashion jewelry industry,
the chandelier and art object industries as well as
manufacturing diverse consumer products sold
under the company’s brand name.
The technologies for crystal glass production
have been perfected over many years under the
guidance of Mr. Swarovski, which gives Swarovski’s crystal its brilliant “lights.”
Mr. Swarovski said he was deeply honored and pleased that Paris was selected as the city to host the banquet.
He thanked the committee members for traveling, near and far and said it was a sign of how important and distinctive
the Phoenix Award is. Mr. Swarovski said “Paris is the capital of luxury and fashion and is exactly the place, where
the Swarovski journey began.”
Helmut Swarovski is the great-grandson of Daniel Swarovski, the founder of the now 112-year-old company.
Mr. Swarovski was named managing partner in 1978 and has been responsible for manufacturing worldwide as well as for management, new business
development and research and development since 1970. Mr. Swarovski received his degree in Industrial Engineering in Munich, Germany in 1967.
Return to Recipient List
2008 - John Gallo
Vice President
Gallo Glass
John Gallo has been named the thirty–eighth recipient of the Phoenix Award, which is given to recognize the “Glass Person of the Year.”
Mr. Gallo was unanimously selected for the award in recognition of the advances in oxy-fuel technolgoy and open cooperation of Gallo Glass.
Under John Gallo’s leadership, Gallo Glass has created extensive training and apprenticeship programs. Guided by the belief that human resources should be
developed from within, Gallo Glass offers college degree programs to employees at every level. “The first thing my dad did was to look for the right people,
the right team. He believed in getting the right person in the right place, and giving them challenges.”
Employee retention is a hallmark of Gallo Glass, where, one longtime employee says, “You’re considered a ‘flight risk’ until you’ve been here 20 years.”
Vice President and General Manager Bill Holmes, who has been on duty since the day Gallo Glass opened its doors, has served as John Gallo’s mentor for nearly
a decade. “Bill is the heart and soul of Gallo Glass,” John says. “He is an invaluable resource to me, as he was to my dad.”
It was with Bill Holmes and the company’s management team that John traveled to Europe to learn more
about the new technology and automation being used in glass plants there. Applying what they learned, the company went from manufacturing 60 million cases to
85 million cases with the same five furnaces. That increased capacity led them into the open marketplace to find and serve new customers, another big step for
a family business whose only customer for 40 years was itself.
Along with its emphasis on the individual, Gallo Glass Company focuses on continual improvement in the
technology of glass making. The dark green “Flavor Guard” wine bottle was an early indication that Gallo Glass would be an innovator in the industry. The company
remains a leader in research and development, sharing information through organizations such as the International Partners in Glass Research (IPGR).
Mr. Gallo remarked during his acceptance speech that, “Innovation is what started the company…and today,
that spirit of innovation remains strong in the people at Gallo Glass.” Mr. Gallo went on to say, “Long before regulations began forcing companies to invest
in the next innovation, we partnered with our suppliers and built our own cryogenic oxygen plant…becoming the first in the world to run our furnaces on pure
oxygen…significantly reduced NOX…and eliminated the precursor to smog…it was the equivalent to taking 130,000 cars off of the road every year. That started
the “Green” movement at Gallo Glass.” Gallo Glass went on to construct one of the first electric furnaces with zero emissions, to develop the three-mix cullet
market in California, and to become certified under the environmental management guidelines of ISO 14001.
“We have people from other glass companies visit our plant regularly,” John Gallo says, “and our people
visit other plants, as well. It’s a free exchange of ideas, and when the industry prospers we all benefit through collaboration, beyond just being competitors.
We all have a common interest: to maintain glass as the customer’s package of choice!”
Mr. Gallo closed his speech, attended by leading industry suppliers, by saying, “I think the future of
the glass packaging industry is very promising, as we all pull together to promote the advantages of glass. Glass is natural. Glass protects, endures,
and is reborn…infinitely recycled!.” At Gallo Glass 50% of every bottle is from recycled glass.
John Gallo, has expanded Gallo Glass Company beyond vertical integration within his family’s wine business
into an operation that now provides glass containers to diverse customers on the open market. “Being family owned and operated,” he says, “gives us
certain advantages: fewer layers to go through to make a decision, better ability to invest in the future. We can respond quickly and thoughtfully to
customer requirements. And, having met our own needs for so long really helps us understand the needs of others. We can go from an idea on the back of
an envelope to full production in four weeks.”
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