Dow, Herbert Henry

Dow, Herbert Henry (1866-1930), was an early leader in the United States chemical industry. In 1897, he founded the Dow Chemical Company. Through research and development, which Dow emphasized, the company has made a variety of products. It mass-produced industrial chemicals, led in developing carbon tetrachloride, introduced a cheap phenol (carbolic acid), and developed uses for bromine extracted from seawater (see Bromine; Carbon tetrachloride).

Dow was born on Feb. 26, 1866, in Belleville, Ontario. He died on Oct. 15, 1930.