Society of the plastics industry

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 Society have become more structured and sophisticated as the industry has matured, the social aspect is still a prominent feature of its annual meetings and expositions.

World War II increased the demand for plastics, particularly for the military and brought the society into the more active role of promoting the use of plastics in new applications and establishing industry-wide standards and specifications. With the appointment of William T. Cruse (1903-1993) as Executive Vice President, the society acquired its first full-time professional manager.

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