Bob Switzer
Encyclopedia
Robert C. Switzer usually known as Bob Switzer (19 May 1914 — 20 August 1997) was the co-inventor along with his brother Joe Switzer of the first fluorescent paint which he called "Day-Glo".
Switzer was born in Fromberg, Montana and raised in Berkeley California. In 1932, he received a scholarship from the Scaife
Scholarship Foundation of Oakland, California
, so he attended the College of Chemistry at the University of California, Berkeley
. He hoped to become a medical doctor, but while unloading crates at the Heinz Ketchup factory in Berkeley, California, he tripped and fell, entering into a coma
for several months after the accident. He was still a teenager, and his vision was permanently damaged. He was told to stay in a dark room until he recovered. He spent his time playing with fluorescent minerals. When he recovered he carried on experimenting with these, mixing them with varnish, and eventually made a fluorescent paint under the name of Day-Glo. A book has been published in 2009 entitled "The Day-Glo Brothers" about how Bob and Joe Switzer invented daylight fluorescent color initially used in WW2 and later Magnaglo and Zyglo flaw detection material licensed through Magnaflux Corporation of Chicago.
Initially he sold it to magicians for creating illusions, but eventually the army became interested as a means to reduce friendly fire
deaths. He made a form suitable for fabrics, turning his wife's wedding dress into the first piece of high-visibility clothing
.
He married his wife Patricia (a Berkeley native) in 1936.
He and his brother founded Switzer Brothers, now the Day-Glo Color Corporation, in 1946 in Cleveland, Ohio
to manufacture fluorescent products.
When the company was sold in 1985, he and his wife set up the Robert and Patricia Switzer Foundation to fund students working on applied environmental problem solving.
Switzer died at his home in Shaker Heights, Ohio
at age 83 from complications from Parkinson's disease
.
Switzer was born in Fromberg, Montana and raised in Berkeley California. In 1932, he received a scholarship from the Scaife
Scaife
Scaife is a surname, and may refer to:*Brendan Scaife , Irish Academic Engineer and Physicist*Bo Scaife , American professional football player*Bobby Scaife , English professional football player...
Scholarship Foundation of Oakland, California
Oakland, California
Oakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724...
, so he attended the College of Chemistry at the University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
. He hoped to become a medical doctor, but while unloading crates at the Heinz Ketchup factory in Berkeley, California, he tripped and fell, entering into a coma
Coma
In medicine, a coma is a state of unconsciousness, lasting more than 6 hours in which a person cannot be awakened, fails to respond normally to painful stimuli, light or sound, lacks a normal sleep-wake cycle and does not initiate voluntary actions. A person in a state of coma is described as...
for several months after the accident. He was still a teenager, and his vision was permanently damaged. He was told to stay in a dark room until he recovered. He spent his time playing with fluorescent minerals. When he recovered he carried on experimenting with these, mixing them with varnish, and eventually made a fluorescent paint under the name of Day-Glo. A book has been published in 2009 entitled "The Day-Glo Brothers" about how Bob and Joe Switzer invented daylight fluorescent color initially used in WW2 and later Magnaglo and Zyglo flaw detection material licensed through Magnaflux Corporation of Chicago.
Initially he sold it to magicians for creating illusions, but eventually the army became interested as a means to reduce friendly fire
Friendly fire
Friendly fire is inadvertent firing towards one's own or otherwise friendly forces while attempting to engage enemy forces, particularly where this results in injury or death. A death resulting from a negligent discharge is not considered friendly fire...
deaths. He made a form suitable for fabrics, turning his wife's wedding dress into the first piece of high-visibility clothing
High-visibility clothing
High-visibility clothing, a type of personal protective equipment , is any clothing worn that has highly reflective properties or a colour that is easily discernible from any background. Yellow waistcoats worn by emergency services are a common example....
.
He married his wife Patricia (a Berkeley native) in 1936.
He and his brother founded Switzer Brothers, now the Day-Glo Color Corporation, in 1946 in Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
to manufacture fluorescent products.
When the company was sold in 1985, he and his wife set up the Robert and Patricia Switzer Foundation to fund students working on applied environmental problem solving.
Switzer died at his home in Shaker Heights, Ohio
Shaker Heights, Ohio
Shaker Heights is a city in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, United States. As of the 2010 Census, the city population was 28,448. It is an inner-ring streetcar suburb of Cleveland that abuts the city on its eastern side.-Topography:Shaker Heights is located at...
at age 83 from complications from Parkinson's disease
Parkinson's disease
Parkinson's disease is a degenerative disorder of the central nervous system...
.