S. Donald Stookey facts for kids

Stanley Donald Stookey (May 23, 1915 – November 4, 2014) was an American inventor. He created many new types of glass and ceramics. He held 60 patents for his inventions. Some patents were his alone, while others he shared with other inventors. His discoveries helped create things like eyeglasses, sunglasses, cookware, and parts for electronics and defense systems.

He worked as a research director at Corning Glass Works for 47 years. There, he focused on developing new glass and ceramic materials. His famous inventions include Fotoform, CorningWare, Cercor, Pyroceram, and special glass for eyeglasses that changes color in the sun.

Early life and education

Stanley Donald Stookey was born on May 23, 1915, in Hay Springs, Nebraska. He was the oldest of four children. His parents, Stanley and Hermie Stookey, were both teachers. When he was about six years old, his family moved to Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Stookey went to Coe College from 1934 to 1936. He earned a degree in chemistry and mathematics. His grandfather had also been a professor at the same college. After Coe College, Stookey attended Lafayette College in Easton, Pennsylvania, in 1937. He received a scholarship and worked as a teaching assistant. In 1938, he earned his Master of Science degree in chemistry. Stookey then went to Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Cambridge. He received his doctorate degree in chemistry in 1940. That same year, he married his wife, Ruth.

Amazing inventions

Stookey started his career at Corning Glass Works in 1940. He spent his time researching glass and ceramics. This work led to many important inventions. He especially studied and experimented with opal glass and glass ceramics.

FotoForm glass and CorningWare

Corningware, invented by S. Donald Stookey

One of Stookey's first big inventions was FotoForm glass. Scientists recognized how useful it was around 1948. FotoForm glass is used in making computers and communication devices.

In 1953, Stookey made an accidental but amazing discovery. He was working with a piece of FotoForm glass. He meant to heat it to 600 degrees Celsius, but he accidentally heated it to 900 degrees Celsius. This mistake created the first glass-ceramic material, which he called Fotoceram. It was later also known as Pyroceram. This new material was super strong and could handle very high heat.

This discovery led to the creation of CorningWare in 1957. CorningWare was sold to people for cooking in 1958. It became one of Stookey's inventions that made millions of dollars. It also helped develop VisionWare, which is clear cookware.

Pyroceram and Gorilla Glass

Pyroceram glass has special features that make it useful for the military. It can be used for the nose cones of supersonic radar domes on guided missiles. It is extremely hard, super strong, and can resist very high heat. It also lets radar waves pass through it. Pyroceram is also the basis for Gorilla Glass. This strong glass is used in iPhones and other LCD screens to protect them.

Photochromic glass

Stookey also developed photochromic glass. This is a type of glass used to make eyeglass lenses that get darker in bright sunlight. These special lenses were first sold to people in the 1960s as sunglasses made by Corning Glass Works. Stookey worked with William Armistead on this discovery. Stookey also invented photosensitive glass that uses gold. This glass can be used to create permanent colored photographs.

Awards and recognition

Stookey received many awards for his inventions. Some of his most notable honors include:

• 1953: John Price Wetherill Medal
• 1986: National Medal of Technology presented by President Ronald Reagan
• 2010: Inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame

Later life

Stookey retired from Corning Glass Works in 1987. He had worked there for 47 years. He and his wife, Ruth, had three children: Robert, Margaret, and Donald Bruce. They also had six grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren. Stanley Donald Stookey passed away in 2014 at the age of 99.

Organization membership

Stookey was a member of many professional groups and societies, including:

• Sigma Xi
• National Academy of Engineering
• The American Ceramic Society (Distinguished Life and Fellow)
• The Corning Museum of Glass has a special section about his glass and glass-ceramic inventions. It includes a video where Stookey talks about his work.