Portrait of chemist and prolific inventor Carleton Ellis (1876-1941) best known for his involvement in the development of margarine, polyester, anti-knock gasoline, and paint and varnish remover.

Carleton Ellis was born on September 20, 1876 in Keene, New Hampshire, the son of Marcus and Catherine Ellis. A camera given to Ellis on his twelfth birthday sparked his interest in chemistry, as he observed chemical reactions while developing the photos he took. Ellis graduated Keene High School as Valedictorian and subsequently earned his B.S. from Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Following his graduation from MIT, Ellis stayed on as a teaching instructor. While at MIT, Ellis notably witnessed a workman removing paint, which inspired his invention of a varnish remover compound still widely sold today.

After two years as an instructor at MIT, Ellis joined with a colleague to form the Ellis-Chalmers Company to manufacture his paint remover compound. The company operated both Ellis Laboratories in Montclair, New Jersey and a branch laboratory in Key West, Florida; notably, these were among the first laboratories in the United States to practice chemistry. While conducting many experiments with petroleum, Ellis discovered a way to extract isopropyl alcohol from petroleum, which reduced the price from $1 a gallon to $5 a gram. Ellis also developed the tube and tank process, otherwise known as cracking oil, which is heavily used in standard oil organizations, as well as a cheap acetone used to fireproof the wings on military aircraft.

A man of many inventions, Ellis obtained 753 patents in his lifetime, currently the third highest number of patents held by an individual in American history. While attempting to patent his paint remover, Ellis could not afford an attorney, so he studied patent law and subsequently obtained his patents himself. An instant drying ink for newspaper presses was his last patented invention. In 1916, the Franklin Institute awarded Ellis the Edward Longstreth medal, which was established in 1890 for the encouragement of invention. At age 64, Ellis contracted influenza while vacationing in Miami Beach and died on January 13, 1941.