The Society of the Plastics Industry was organized on May 11, 1937, by several engineers and salesmen connected with the manufacture of plastics feedstocks, finished products, and processing machinery. As a general trade association, the Society was somewhat unusual in that it represented both the giant chemical firms and small finishers and molders. In its early years, the Society was a loose organization which brought its members together for socializing and informal exchanges over dinner and on the golf links. While the activities of the Societyhave become more structured and sophisticated as the industryhas matured, the social aspect is still a prominent feature of its annual meetings and expositions.
William Caroll Pahlmann was one of the leading American interior designers of the mid-twentieth century. Pahlmann was known for an "eclectic" style that combined materials and decorative elements from many time periods and cultures, everything from antiques to modern laminates, and for bold color and texture combinations. This approach typified much of the private residential and commercial construction of the period and stood in contrast to the austere modernism of contemporary architects. Pahlmann also played a major role in organizing and elevating the status of interior design as a profession.
Raymond Loewy was born in Paris on November 5, 1893. He was the third son of Maximillian and Marie (Labalme) Loewy and grew up in a bourgeois household. As a boy, he developed an interest in transportation and machines. At age seventeen, Loewy enrolled in a pre-engineering school, an experience that prepared him for the technical aspects of an industrial design career.