| (1899
- 1981) |
| Inducted: |
1993 |
| Region: |
Northeast |
| Industry: |
Engineering
|
|
Amory Houghton became president of Corning Glass Works in 1930. Demand for its light bulbs was low, but Houghton refused to cut spending. He saw boundless promise in material science and believed that glass would play a part. Houghton increased the research and development budget every year throughout the decade. Soon Corning’s labs were developing inventions faster than the company could develop them. Houghton turned to joint ventures in order to speed development. He created Pittsburgh Corning to manufacture and market glass building blocks, Owens Corning to make fiberglass, and Dow Corning, to make silicones. |
