Timeline for Milton Harris
| 1906 | Born in Los Angeles, California on March 21. The Harris's will later move to Portland, Oregon, where the family operates a small grocery store and where Milton Harris is raised. |
| 1924 | Having graduated from Portland's Lincoln High School, Harris begins his university studies at Oregon Agricultural College. He quickly distinguishes himself as an excellent and well-rounded student, becoming captain of the O. A. C. tennis team. |
| 1926 | After three years of study, graduates with a bachelor's of science degree in chemical
engineering from O. A. C. Begins his doctoral studies at Yale University, where he will pursue interests in protein chemistry. |
| 1929 | Again after three years of study, receives his Ph. D. from Yale. Accepts a position as chemist at the Cheney Brothers silk mill in South Manchester, Massachusetts. The mill had supported Harris' research fellowship at Yale. |
| 1931 | Forms, in collaboration with Pete Johnson and others, an institute for the study of textiles at the National Bureau of Standards. Among other duties, Harris edits the Dyes and Textiles section of Chemical Abstracts. In his time at the Bureau of Standards, Harris' research group publishes nearly 200 papers on textile chemistry and makes important contributions to the study of protein structure and the properties of polymer molecules. |
| 1934 | On March 30, marries Carolyn Wolf. The Harris family will come to include two sons, Barney and John. |
| 1942 | During World War II, Harris focuses on solving practical issues hampering the U.S. war effort. Among other projects, Harris' group works to improve the integrity of the uniforms worn by soldiers in the field, as well as tent and sandbag fabrics used in theatre. Specific contributions to the shrink-proofing of wool are estimated to save the United States several hundred million dollars over the course of World War II and the Korean War. |
| 1943 | Receives the Washington Academy of Sciences Award. |
| 1945 | Founds, in collaboration, the Harris Research Laboratory, a consulting group later
to become a subsidiary of the Gillette Company. The Laboratory provides its expertise
on a number of projects bound for the market, including improved ink pens, polymer-coated
razor blades and the forerunner of the cold-wave permanent system (more commonly known
as "the perm") for hair. Over time Harris and his colleagues will contribute to the
improvement of waterproofing, flame- and radiation-resistance in textiles. They will
also design enhanced processes for bleaching cashmere, finishing fur, manufacturing
wrinkle-free cotton and moth-proofing wool. Receives the Olney Medal for Textile Research from the American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists. |
| 1955 | The Gillette Company acquires the Harris Research Laboratory. One year later, Harris
is appointed director of research and vice president of the company, a position that
he will hold for ten years. Receives an honorary doctorate from the Philadelphia Textile Institute. |
| 1960 | Elected to a one-year term as president of the American Institute of Chemists. |
| 1966 | Retires from the Gillette Company having, among other achievements, established a
Gillette research laboratory in England. Elected to the Board of Directors of the American Chemical Society. Within a year he is named Chairman, a position that he holds for five years. During his tenure, Harris is instrumental to the industrial application of jojoba oil, a substance that proves to be a successful alternative to sperm oil, used as an automobile lubricant until its prohibition in 1971. Jojoba oil is later found to have useful application in the production of cosmetics and as a cooking oil. |
| 1967 | Receives the Distinguished Service Award - the highest honor granted by his alma mater, Oregon State University. |
| 1970 | Receives the Perkin Medal from the Society of Chemical Industry. The medal is awarded annually for achievement in the commercial application of chemistry. |
| 1974 | Receives the Wilbur Lucius Cross Medal from Yale University. Throughout his life, Harris maintained a close connection with Yale, serving for six years as president of the Yale Chemists' Association, and also contributing his expertise to the Yale Alumni Board and the Yale University Council. |
| 1980 | Receives the Priestley Medal, the American Chemical Society's most prestigious decoration. |
| 1982 | Receives the American Institute of Chemists Gold Medal, the Institute's top award. |
| 1984 | Establishes the Milton Harris Chair of Polymer Chemistry at Oregon State University. This is OSU's first fully-endowed chair. Two years later he will fund a similar position at Yale University, the Milton Harris Associate Professorship of Chemistry. |
| 1991 | Dies of stomach cancer, at the age of 85, at his home in Chevy Chase, Maryland. He is survived by his wife, Carolyn, and a son, John. Over the course of his long career, Harris authors more than two-hundred scientific papers and issues thirty-five patents. |
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