In the late 1920's three foundations of American industry, Thomas Edison, Henry Ford and Harvey Firestone joined forces in the search for a domestic source of rubber.  As part of this effort they created the Edison Botanical Research Corporation.  A significant amount of the work on this project was carried out in Edison's research laboratory located in Ft. Myers, Florida at what is now known as Edison and Ford Winter Estates.  After screening more than 15,000 different plants, Edison made the decision to focus on plants from the genus Solidago (goldenrod).  In early 2010, the author began working with Edison and Ford Winter Estates in an effort to provide an organic chemist's perspective and interpretation to the items located in Edison's research laboratory and to assist in the presentation of Edison's rubber research to the general public.  This poster will present the results of this collaborative project.

Synergistic relationship between academics and a scientific museum: Chemistry meets history

243rd National Meeting (2012)

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.