Leo Hendrik Baekeland was born November 14, 1863 in Ghent, Belgium. He graduated from high school first in his class when he was 16 and earned a scholarship to the University of Ghent. At 21 he received his doctorate degree with highest honors. He arrived in the United States by way of a traveling fellowship, settled in the state of New York and went to work for a photographic firm.

In 1891, Baekeland perfected the manufacturing process for "Velox," a gelatine silver chloride paper invented by Josef Eder (1885-1944). The paper made it possible to develop photographic prints under artificial light. He sold his invention to George Eastman, owner of Kodak, for one million dollars in 1899.

Baekeland bought a home in Yonkers, New York, with his fortune and built a laboratory where he began experiments in electrochemistry. He was granted patents for his work with electrolytic cells. Baekeland then began searching for a...