Name Frank Herzegh | Awards Charles Goodyear Medal | |
Frank Herzegh (11 April 1907 – 4 December 1989) invented the first successful tubeless tire.
Herzegh was born in Cleveland, Ohio, graduating from West Technical High School in 1926. Collegiately, he attended Case School of Applied Science, now known as Case Western Reserve University, receiving his bachelor's degree in Physics in 1930. He also played college football for the Case Tech, notably scoring the game winning touchdown in 1927 at Luna Park against rival Western Reserve Red Cats for the 7–6 victory; Case Tech would not win again against their rival until 1948.
In 1938, he married Eleanor Pitkin Owen and together had 3 children.
Herzegh joined the B. F. Goodrich Co. in Akron as a research and development engineer immediately after graduating Case Tech. In 1946, he applied for his tubeless tire patent and eventually received US patent 2587470 in 1952 in the United States. In addition to his famous tubeless tire invention, he created 100 other patents during his lifetime. After a 42-year career with Goodrich, he retired in 1972.
In 1978, he was awarded the Charles Goodyear Medal, the highest honor conferred by the American Chemical Society, Rubber Division.
He lived a majority of his adult life in Shaker Heights, Ohio, where he was cremated.