Baekeland
LEO HENDRIK, an American chemist, born in Ghent, Belgium, in 1863. He graduated from the University of Ghent and studied electrochemistry in Germany. After being a member of the faculty of several universities in Belgium, he came to the United States in 1889. He founded a company for the manufacture of photographic papers which he had invented, the best known of which was called Velox. From 1889 he was engaged in research mechanical work and was consulting chemist for many important industrial concerns. He invented bakelite, a chemical substance replacing hard rubber and amber. He was a member of the Naval Consulting Board from 1915 to 1920, and also was a member of many chemical societies, both in the United States and abroad. He took out many patents in the United States and abroad on subjects of organic chemistry, electric insulation, etc., and contributed much to chemical magazines on chemical subjects.