Post It Note Inventors In Hall of Fame

One of today's best selling office products, the post-it note, is an idea that well stuck so well that inventors Art Fry and Spencer Silver are being inducted into the national inventors hall of fame.

Both men joined us in studio to share the story of how the product came to be.

On the Net:

2010 National Inventors Hall of Fame Inductees

http://www.invent.org/2010induction/index.asp

Spencer Silver
Born February 6 1941
Post-It® Notes
Patent #: 3,691,140

Inducted 2010

In 1968, Spencer Silver was a senior scientist working to develop new classes of adhesives at 3M when he discovered an acrylic adhesive with unique properties.  It was formed of tiny spheres that provided a pressure-sensitive adhesive with a high level of tack but a low degree of adhesion.  Art Fry, a researcher at 3M, learned of the adhesive several years later.  He coated paper with it and made repositionable notes, and the concept of Post-it® Notes was created. 

Invention Impact

Years of perfecting design and production followed.  Major challenges involved creating equipment and processes to manufacture the notes, as well as the problem of getting the adhesive to stay in place and maintain a consistent range of adhesion.

Post-it Notes were introduced nationally in the United States in 1980.  Repositionable notes are now among the five best-selling office products in the U.S., and when 3M received the National Medal of Technology in 1985, Post-it Notes were named among the products that helped the company earn the award.

Inventor Bio

Silver was born in San Antonio, Texas and received his Ph.D. from the University of Colorado.  In 1966, he joined 3M, remaining there until his retirement in 1996. During his career, Silver pursued research in branch block copolymers, protein immobilization, immuno-diagnostics, and synthesized many new monomers used in pressure-sensitive adhesives.  He is a member of the Carlton Society, the highest 3M honor.  In 1998, he received the Medal for Creative Invention from the American Chemical Society.

Arthur L. Fry
Born August 19 1931
Post-It® Notes
Patent #: 5,194,299

Inducted 2010

Art Fry was a new product development researcher at 3M when he learned of the adhesive microspheres that his colleague Spencer Silver had developed.  The spheres were pressure-sensitive, but had a low degree of adhesion.  He coated paper with the adhesive and made repositionable notes, and the concept of Post-it® Notes was created.

Invention Impact

Years of perfecting design and production followed.  Major challenges involved creating equipment and processes to manufacture the notes, as well as the problem of getting the adhesive to stay in place and maintain a consistent range of adhesion.

Post-it Notes were introduced nationally in the United States in 1980.  Repositionable notes are now among the five best-selling office products in the U.S., and when 3M received the National Medal of Technology in 1985, Post-it Notes were named among the products that helped the company earn the award.

Inventor Bio

Born in Owatona, Minnesota, Fry graduated from the University of Minnesota and spent his career at 3M until his retirement in 1992.  He made many technical contributions to 3M products, including art materials, tapes, decorative ribbon and gift wrap, and metal surface-finishing laminates.  He was admitted into 3M’s Carlton Society in 1983, the highest honor given to a 3M scientist.