Otto Rohm and Otto Haas

1876-1939 and 1872-1960

The scientific discoveries of Dr. Röhm and the business acumen of Mr. Haas were combined to form, first in Germany (1907) and then in Philadelphia (1909), the Rohm and Haas Company. Early products were specialty chemicals for the leather and textile industries, but in 1932, Dr. Röhm, whose Ph.D. research was on acrylic acid and its derivatives, discovered the transparent methyl methacrylate polymer he named Plexiglas. The product found a market in military aircraft: cockpit canopies, gunner's turrets and the like. Later, peace-time applications were developed, such as colored plexiglas for automobile taillights. Thereafter, a substantial part of the company's business was based on acrylate chemistry. Other products include Amberlite ion exchange resins used to prepare de-ionized water, acrylic latex emulsions for house paints, printing inks and roof mastics, and agricultural chemicals.

We are indebted to the Rohm and Haas Company for partial financial support of this project.

Sponsor: Ronald L. Haas

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Location in chemistry building: First Floor; Between Rooms 136 and 138 West Wall; Sequence 1

Source: Rohm and Haas Company