The Life of Leo Hendrik Arthur Baekeland
Leo Hendrik Arthur Baekeland born Ghent, Belgium to Karel Baekeland and Rosalie Merchie – November 14th, 1863
Photo courtesy of Ghent University, Museum for the History of Science
Ben Franklin Quote
This is when Leo was made aware of Ben Franklin. Quote from his acceptance speech in 1940 of the Franklin Medal… ‘In the year 1871, when I was about eight years old and a pupil in the public schools of the city of Ghent, Belgium, our teacher fascinated us by..Read more
Leo learns English and German
1878 to 1880 the years he was at technical school in Ghent where he learned English and German because of the economic importance of these languages. (As it was and still is in Belgium, French was his second language after Dutch).
Enters Ghent University
While at Ghent University Leo joined the liberal thinking, Anti-Catholic club ‘t zal wel gaan (it will go well). He continued to pay dues while in America. The club is still active today.
Professor of Chemistry at Higher School of Sciences, Bruges, Belgium
Awarded traveling fellowship from four Belgian universities
Assistant professorship in Chemistry under Prof. Swarts, University of Ghent
Funded by the Guequier family, establishes Baekeland & Cie, making emulsions for glass plates
Photo courtesy of Ghent University, Museum for the History of Science
With fellowship funds, attends University of Edinburgh
Marries Professor Swarts’ daughter, Céline
August 8th, 1889
Sails with Céline on the Red Star Line, SS Westernland from Antwerp, Belgium to Castle Gardens, New York
August 10th, 1889
Employed as staff chemist at Anthony & Co. Photographic Supplies, New York City
Céline returns to Ghent for the birth of daughter Jenny
Meets Charles Chandler of Columbia University
Quits Anthony and Co. to become a consultant and work on his own projects.
Suffers acute appendicitis and decides to pursue his love for photography.
June, 1893
Funded by Leonard Jacobi, establishes Nepera Chemical Co. in Yonkers, NY producing Velox photographic paper
February 14th, 1894
Daughter Jenny dies of meningitis
Son, George Washington Baekeland born
February 8th, 1895
Applies for US Citizenship
(He had to reapply in 1919)
Paris to Brussels bicycle trip with Céline
Honorary member of The Chemists’ Club
November 5th, 1898
Nepera Chemical Co. sold to George Eastman for $750,000
Earns Doctorate
Purchases home, “Snug Rock”, Harmony Park, Yonkers, NY
Studies electrochemistry at Technical University of Charlottenburg, Germany
Daughter, Nina born
With Charles Townsend, develops the electrolytic cell (“Townsend Cell”) in New York City
Begins experiments with phenolic resins
Summer, 1902
Becomes Consultant for Development & Funding Co., which became the Hooker Electrochemical Corp. in Niagara Falls, NY
President of The Chemists’ Club, NYC
With Céline, George and Nina tours Great Britain, France and Europe
Auto Tour of Europe
In the summer of 1906 Leo shipped his Peerless Limousine to Southampton for a tour of Great Britain, France, and Italy with Céline, George, Nina and his chauffeur.
Writes first personal diary entry
August, 1906
Attends banquet for Sir William Perkin in New York City
October 6th, 1906
“A Family Motor Tour Through Europe” published by Horseless Age (The Automobile Trade Magazine)
First manufacture of a thermosetting resin, which he calls Bakelite
June, 1907
Files Heat and Pressure Patent # 942,699
Application filed July 13th, 1907. Patent approved December 7, 1909. Scroll to 1909 to read first page of patent.
Manufactures small-scale trials of Bakelite products
1907-1909
Bakelite produced at Bakelite GmbH in Erkner, Germany; eventually under license to General Bakelite Company
Discovery of Bakelite announced at a meeting of the New York Section of the American Chemical Society
February 5th, 1909
Heat and Pressure Patent # 942,699 – Approved December 7, 1909 – Method of Making Insoluble Products of Phenol and Formaldehyde
The General Bakelite Company established at facility owned by Roessler and Hasslacher Chemical Co., Perth Amboy, New Jersey
Raw Bakelite supplied to Boonton Rubber Molding Co., Boonton, New Jersey
Commercial Bakelite Billiard Balls produced
General Bakelite Company constructs its own building at Perth Amboy
Mother dies in Belgium
Purchases yacht, “Cygnet”
Awarded Perkin Medal, New York City
Becomes a member of the US Naval Consulting Board
1917-1944
Nina marries George H. Roll
Son George marries Cornelia Middlebrook
January 16th, 1919
Reapplies and achieves US citizenship
George and Cornelia’s daughter, Cornelia (Dicki) born
Nina’s first daughter, Céline Roll born
November 7th, 1920
George’s first son, Brooks born
February 7th, 1921
General Bakelite Company R&D Department established in Bloomfield, NJ
Purchases motor cruiser, “Ion”
After two years of patent litigation, General Bakelite Co. merges with Condensite & Redmanol Co.s to form the Bakelite Corporation
Leo featured on cover of Time Magazine
Serves as president of the American Chemical Society
Bakelite patent expires
Purchases The Anchorage from Mrs. William Jennings Bryan, Coconut Grove, Florida
Swayze Farm purchased for site of Bakelite Corp. Bound Brook, New Jersey
Bound Brook plant, – 271 employees in 10 major buildings
Bakelite Corporation sold to Union Carbide and Carbon Co.
Baekeland’s last diary entry
October 25th, 1942
Dies in Beacon New York. Buried in family plot at Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, Tarrytown, New York
February 23rd, 1944
Céline Baekeland dies. Buried in family plot at Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, Tarrytown, New York
February 27th, 1957
Snug Rock estate burns down
September 11th, 1957