Edward R. Kane

Edward R. Kane

Age 93 of Greenville, Delaware, passed away peacefully on September 16, 2011, at his home in the Stonegates Health Center with his family at his side.

He was born in Schenectady, New York on September 13, 1918. He graduated from Nott Terrace High School as the top student in his class and won a full scholarship, the Steinmetz Scholarship, to attend Union College in Schenectady. He received his B.S. in chemistry in 1940, again graduating first in his class. After Commencement, he enrolled in the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, earning a Ph.D. in physical chemistry in 1943. While completing work on his Doctorate, he taught freshman chemistry at MIT and considered staying in teaching. However, he was intrigued by the field of polymers and synthetic fibers, especially nylon, and felt it was an area where he could contribute most, having received deferment from the military because of his technical education. He joined DuPont as a research chemist in the nylon section of the textile fibers department at the company's Experimental Station in Wilmington, Delaware.

By 1947, he became a research supervisor. One project his team worked on was called Fiber V. He had made a small amount of a new substance in an autoclave and spun it into fibers, and DuPont decided to explore commercializing it as a fiber fabric product. His group thought that they could use nylon plant facilities to produce the fiber fabric at full-scale and in 1949 he was sent to Seaford, site of DuPont's first nylon plant, to try. He and another team member took some of the fiber fabric produced to a tailor in Philadelphia and each had a suit made for wear testing. The suits were two of the first made of "Dacron" polyester fiber, which was the beginning of a new industry market often referred to as wash-and-wear garments.

In 1950, he was transferred to Chattanooga, Tennessee to serve as a technical superintendent of the nylon plant and four years later he was transferred to Kinston, North Carolina and named director of the Dacron Research Laboratory. In 1955, management at DuPont decided to develop new lower-cost processes for fibers products through research and development. He was selected to lead an interdisciplinary effort by the Engineering and Textile Fibers Departments to optimize production at DuPont's nylon facilities. The Engineering-Textile Fibers Task Force, the task force for "Blue Sky Nylon Technology" as it was called, made it possible to combine two manufacturing steps - spinning and drawing - into one and significantly reduced production costs. In 1957, he was named technical manager for nylon and two years later he became director of the Nylon Technical Division. In 1963 he became assistant general director of the Technical Divisions of Textile Fibers and continued to work to develop new textile fibers and improved processes for existing products.

After 23 years in the Textile Fibers Department he was promoted to assistant general manager of the Industrial and Biochemicals Department and the following year, in 1967, he was named general manager of DuPont's Industrial and Biochemicals Department.

In 1969, Kane was promoted to Vice President and became a member of the Executive Committee of DuPont. In 1971, he was named a member of the Finance Committee and Vice Chairman of the Executive Committee. By January 1972, he became a Senior Vice President. The following year he was named President and Chief Operating Officer. He worked to refocus the company on products to assure DuPont's continued success in the global market. He was an advisor on DuPont's international activities and contributed to the growth of DuPont's international business. He retired from DuPont in 1980 and served as a Director until 1988.

Throughout his career he maintained a reputation as a hard-working, intellectual, deliberate, thorough, and demanding but fair manager who inspired others to do their best.

He was committed to providing opportunities in science and engineering to minorities. In 1973, chief executives of some of the nation's leading technologically-oriented corporations formed the National Advisory Council on Minorities in Engineering (NACME). He served as chairman of the council and devoted a great deal of personal dedication to the role, speaking often on the initiative to attract more minorities to engineering. Part of the program of the NACME was a National Fund for Minority Students, which provided funds to colleges and universities with engineering schools. He was a Chairman Emeritus of the National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering.

He was a past member of the National Academy of Engineering, Sigma Xi honor society, the University of Delaware Research Foundation, the American Chemical Society and the American Institute of Chemical Engineers. He served as a director and member of the Executive Committee of the Manufacturing Chemists Association; as president of the Society of the Chemical Industry (SCI), headquartered in London, and served as chairman of its American section. In 1977, he received the Business Leader of the Year Award from Drexel University.

In 1979, he was honored with the prestigious International Palladium Medal. The distinguished international award, given by the American Section of Societe de Chimie Industrielle, was presented to him for his lifelong contributions to the furtherance of understanding and cooperation within the chemical professions, worldwide chemical industry and society in general.

He served as a Director for DuPont, Texas Instruments, Mead Corporation, Inco Ltd., Delaware Trust Co., the Crompton Company, and J.P. Morgan and as a member of the International Council and the Directors Advisory Council of Morgan Guaranty Trust Company of New York. He also served as a Member of the Corporation Development Committee for MIT and as a Trustee of Union College, MIT, and the University of Pennsylvania.

He was an excellent tennis player and enjoyed playing doubles year-round with regular foursomes at both Greenville and Wilmington Country Clubs.

He was a loving husband to his wife of 63 years, Doris P. Kane, who passed away August 2 of this year. Following his retirement, they traveled extensively throughout the world.

He is survived by his daughters, Christine Plant of Richmond, Virginia and Susan Booth of Austin, Texas; and grandchildren, Elizabeth Plant and Susan Plant of Arlington, Virginia and Allison Booth, Emily Booth, and Michael Booth of Austin, Texas.

The family would like to thank the staff at Stonegates Health Center for their compassionate care.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests contributions be made to the Edward R. Kane Fund for Chemistry, Union College, Schenectady, New York or Christ Church Christiana Hundred, Greenville, Delaware. A private burial service is planned at Lower Brandywine Presbyterian Church.

CHANDLER FUNERAL HOMES
302-478-7100