Oral history interview with J. Lawrence Wilson
- 1999-Aug-30
J. Lawrence Wilson begins the interview with a discussion of his childhood and early education. Wilson grew up in Rosedale, Mississippi, and attended Culver Military Academy in Culver, Indiana. After high school, he received a Naval Reserves Officer Training Corps scholarship to attend Vanderbilt University, where he majored in mechanical engineering. Wilson graduated in 1958, and he then served in the Navy for several years as a member of the SEABEEs, stationed in Bermuda. When he returned, Wilson attended Harvard Business School, receiving his MBA in 1963. After graduate school, Wilson came to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, with a friend to start a private equity firm. Two years later, he joined Rohm and Haas Company. Wilson discusses his experiences in operations research and as treasurer for Rohm and Haas subsidiary Warren-Teed. He also talks about his views on scientific innovation. Wilson further addresses the company's electronics business, his time in Europe, and the changes in Rohm and Haas and the chemical industry, in general, over the past three decades. Wilson concludes the interview with a discussion of the chemical industry's environmental concerns, Rohm and Haas's acquisition of Morton International, his work with the Chemical Manufacturers Association, and his family.
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About the Interviewer
James G. Traynham is a professor of chemistry at Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge. He holds a PhD in organic chemistry from Northwestern University. He joined Louisiana State University in 1953 and served as chemistry department chairperson from 1968 to 1973. He was chairman of the American Chemical Society’s Division of the History of Chemistry in 1988 and is currently councilor of the Baton Rouge section of the American Chemical Society. He was a member of the American Chemical Society’s Joint-Board Council on Chemistry and Public Affairs, as well as a member of the Society’s Committees on Science, Chemical Education, and Organic Chemistry Nomenclature. He has written over 90 publications, including a book on organic nomenclature and a book on the history of organic chemistry.
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| Oral history number | 0184 |
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Interviewee biographical information
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Education
| Year | Institution | Degree | Discipline |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1958 | Vanderbilt University | BS | Mechanical Engineering |
| 1963 | Harvard University | MBA | Finance |
Professional Experience
United States. Navy
- 1958 to 1961 Officer
Nyala Properties, Inc.
- 1963 to 1965 Vice President
Rohm and Haas Company
- 1965 to 1967 Staff Associate
- 1971 to 1972 Executive Assistant to the President
- 1972 to 1974 Treasurer
- 1974 to 1977 Regional Director, Rohm and Haas, Europe
- 1977 to 1986 Group Vice President and Director
- 1986 to 1988 Vice Chairman
- 1988 to 1999 Chairman, and Chief Executive Officer
Warren-Teed Pharmaceuticals
- 1967 to 1968 Treasurer
- 1968 to 1969 Vice President
Consolidated Biomedical Laboratories, Inc.
- 1970 to 1971 President
Honors
| Year(s) | Award |
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| 1999 | Chemical Industry Medal, Society of Chemical Industry (American Section) |
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