Irwin M. Lachman

Irwin M. Lachman was a member of the three-scientist research team at Corning Glass Works (now Corning Inc.) that developed the cellular ceramic substrate that is the foundation of the catalytic converters found in virtually every automobile in the world. The Manufacturers of Emission Controls Association reports that this revolutionary technology reduced automotive pollutants by more than 3 billion tons worldwide and by more than 1.5 billion tons in the United States alone. For this accomplishment, Lachman and his research teammates received the 2003 National Medal of Technology from President George W. Bush, the highest honor awarded by the President to America’s leading innovators. They also were inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame in 2002. Lachman received a Ph.D. in ceramic engineering from The Ohio State University in 1955. Prior to joining Corning in 1960, he served in the U.S. Air Force and worked at Thermo Materials, Inc. and the Sandia National Laboratories Library. He retired from Corning in 1994. He holds 47 U.S. patents and has authored and coauthored numerous technical papers. In 2005, he was recognized as the Malcolm G. McLaren Distinguished Lecturer by the Department of Materials Science and Engineering in Rutgers’ School of Engineering.