Frank Hastings Griffin

Frank Hastings Griffin (July 16, 1886 – October 13, 1974) was an American chemist and inventor who developed the double-godet, a stretch-spinning process that created rayon from artificial silk. He served as chief chemist, general manager, vice president and as a member of the board of directors for American Viscose Corporation.

He was born July 16, 1886, in Chester, Pennsylvania, to John and Nancy Hastings (nee Mills) Grffin.^[1] He attended the Drexel Institute of Technology from 1903 to 1906^[1] and graduated from Swarthmore College in 1910, where he was an All-American basketball player. He received his master's degree in chemical engineering from Columbia University in 1916, and an honorary doctorate from Drexel University in 1947.^[2] He taught chemistry at Hahnemann Medical School from 1909 to 1915^[1] and at Swarthmore College.^[2]

Griffin worked at American Viscose Corporation from 1918 until his retirement. He developed the double-godet, a stretch-spinning process that created rayon from artificial silk.^[3] Artificial silk was originally too soft for practical use, but with the double-godet it became usable as rayon in many industrial products such as tire cords and clothing.^[4][2] He served as chief chemist, general manager, vice president and as a member of the board of directors for American Viscose. He also served as a director of the Southeast National Bank in Chester, the Delaware County Chamber of Commerce and the American Insulator Corp. He had four children: Adele Griffin MacCoy Sands, Frank Hastings Griffin, John Tyler Griffin, and Priscilla Griffin Schaefer.^[2]

He died on October 13, 1974, in Wawa, Pennsylvania^[2] and was interred at Media Cemetery in Upper Chichester Township, Pennsylvania.

• Frank Hastings Griffin at Find a Grave