ABSTRACT
Although the name of Charles Goodyear (1800-1860) is synonymous with vulcanized rubber,41 the current company that bears his name has no relation to the historical character. The present company was founded in 1898 by Frank A. Seiberling (1859-1955). Another leading figure in the history of Goodyear was Paul W. Litchfield (1875-1959), an 1896 graduate of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The business was a success and in 1916 became the world’s largest tire company. Litchfield’s tenure as president (1926-1940) brought many innovations.
