[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 69 (Thursday, May 22, 1997)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1022-E1023]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     IN CELEBRATION OF THE DOW CHEMICAL CO'S CENTENNIAL ANNIVERSARY

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. DAVE CAMP

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 22, 1997

  Mr. CAMP. Mr. Speaker, on Sunday the Dow Chemical Co. will be a 
century old. That historic occasion will be celebrated with a reception 
at the Midland Center for the Arts called A Century of Progress: 1897-
1997.
  This celebration takes place thanks to the efforts of more than 300 
volunteers, and support from local businesses and individuals who 
donated generously for a citywide recognition of Dow and its 
contributions to mid-Michigan's working families and communities. I 
believe that Dow and the surrounding communities will continue to gain 
from the mutually beneficial relationship that has grown from 100 years 
of shared history and experience. I look forward to another 100 years 
of success and progress for the Dow Chemical Co. and the working people 
who have made that company and our community great.
  I would like to share with my colleagues three articles from the May 
20 special edition of the Midland Daily News with contributions from 
the Saginaw News and Bay City Times that describe the importance Dow's 
centennial anniversary is to our mid-Michigan communities.

              [From the Midland Daily News, May 20, 1997]

                          (By Virginia Florey)

       On Sunday, The Dow Chemical Co. will be a century old. That 
     historic occasion will be celebrated with a reception at the 
     Midland Center for the Arts and will be called, appropriately 
     enough ``A Century of Progress: 1897-1997.''
       On May 18, 1897, The Dow Chemical Co. came into existence 
     when Herbert Henry Dow persuaded 57 investors to put up 
     $200,000 to start the new business. The purpose of the new 
     company was to make bleach from chlorine. From that small 
     beginning The Dow Chemical Co. has grown into the global 
     giant it is today. This is the story of the man who created 
     the company and in doing so, also created the city of 
     Midland.
       Herbert Henry Dow was born on Feb. 26, 1866, in Belleville, 
     Ontario, Canada, where his dad had been sent temporarily to 
     work out some mechanical problems at a sewing-machine 
     factory. Joseph and Sarah Dow soon returned to Bermingham 
     (now called Derby), Conn., with their young son and continued 
     to live in Bermingham until Herbert was 12 years old. While 
     in Bermingham, two daughters, Mary and Helen, were born.
       Joseph Dow was transferred to Cleveland, Ohio, to work for 
     the Derby Shovel Co. in 1878. Herbert graduated from high 
     school there and that fall entered a new school called Case 
     School of Applied Science, located in Cleveland. Herbert 
     wanted to be an architect but the Dow family didn't have the 
     money to send him away to school. Dow graduated from Case in 
     1888 and made his first trip to Midland, Mich., to take 
     samples from the brine sea that was beneath the flatlands of 
     this small village on the banks of the Tittabawassee River. 
     In August of 1888, he began working at Huron Hospital College 
     in Cleveland and used the lab there to continue his 
     experiments with brine.
       The next few years were filled with failure and successes. 
     In 1889, The Canton Chemical Co. was formed to make bromine 
     but by April 25, 1890, the company was dissolved. On Aug. 12, 
     1890, the Midland Chemical Co. was formed to make ferric 
     bromide from brine. A new process, invented by young H.H. 
     Dow, was to be used. On Aug. 14, 1890, Dow stepped off the 
     train at the Ann Street Depot in Midland and began looking 
     for a place to test his theory that bromine could be 
     separated from brine by electrolysis.
       With little capital and no electricity (Midland didn't get 
     electricity until 1894) to conduct his experiments, Dow 
     rented a barn on West Main Street near the Upper Bridge and 
     bought brine and power from the adjacent Evens Flour Mill. On 
     Sept. 29, 1891, Dow got the patent for the process of 
     extracting bromine from brine by electrolysis.
       Dow met and married a local girl, Grace Ball, who taught 
     school not far from where he was working. In 1893 he made his 
     first sale of potassium bromide crystals after his new bride 
     and he spent two days picking out the ``spots'' of foreign 
     matter in the crystals. But his persistence paid off and soon 
     the Midland Chemical Co. was making money.
       Now that he had proven his theory on brine, Dow turned to 
     what he felt was an ``enormously greater field''--the 
     extraction of chlorine from the waste products of the brine. 
     In 1894, he built an electrolytic plant to extract chlorine 
     but the plant exploded in its first hour of operation. The 
     directors of the Midland Chemical Co. felt that the explosion 
     proved the chlorine idea was too risky and they decided to 
     stay with the production of bromine.
       Dow left Midland for Canton, Ohio, with his wife Grace and 
     baby daughter Helen. He continued experimenting with the 
     chlorine idea and in six months was back in Midland to build 
     a pilot bleach and chlorine plant. He found some investors 
     and The Dow Process Co. was born in 1895. A second daughter, 
     Ruth Alden, was born on Nov. 16, 1895, to Herbert and Grace.
       The year 1897 was a banner year for Dow. On Jan. 4 his 
     first son, Willard Henry, was born and on May 18, 1897, The 
     Dow Chemical Co. was incorporated to make bleach, taking over 
     the assets of the Dow Process Co. On Jan. 5, 1898, the 
     company sold its first bleach and The Dow Chemical Co. was on 
     its way. By 1899, the new plant was making a profit and Dow 
     built a home for his family on West Main Street in Midland--
     the only home he ever owned.
       A second son, Osborne Curtiss, was born in 1899, followed 
     by another son Alden in 1905. Margaret Grace Dow was born in 
     1907, and Dorothy Darling Dow was born on Jan. 2, 1908. Along 
     with the success in his professional life, Dow experienced 
     some wrenching tragedies in his personal life. In 1901, his 
     father Joseph Dow died from tuberculosis in Alma and on Oct. 
     3, 1902, his infant son Osborne Curtiss died. He lost both a 
     sister and a daughter during the flue epidemic of 1918 in 
     Midland.
       Dow's genius wasn't directed solely toward his new chemical 
     plant; community involvement was a passion with him. Because 
     of that, Midland became a uniquely endowed town because of 
     his philanthropy and widespread concerns and interests. He 
     established a garden and an orchard famous enough that he was 
     sought after as a speaker and writer on the subject of 
     gardening. His love of growing things also led him to become 
     a pioneer in the field of agricultural chemicals.
       In 1914, he began his yearly practice of donating to every 
     church in Midland. In 1919 he was the impetus behind the 
     building of the Community Center located then on Townsend 
     between Main and Larkin. In 1924 and 1925, he devoted time, 
     money and men for the construction of the new Midland court 
     house on West Main. Streets were paved. A new water 
     filtration system was initiated.
       Those of us who were born and raised in Midland grew up 
     taking the advantages of living in Midland for granted. The 
     ``plant'' as everyone called it provided an economic base for 
     the entire town. Good schools, beautiful churches, tree-lined 
     streets were a part of our heritage. In the 1930s, Midland 
     had more millionaires per capita than any city in the world. 
     Later this changed to having more Ph.D.s than any city in the 
     world. The best and the brightest came to Midland to work and 
     live here.
       In 1930, Herbert Henry Dow died but his wife Grace and his 
     children continued the ``giving'' to the city of Midland. 
     there are few places that don't bear the mark of the Dow 
     family in one form or another. The Midland Country Club as 
     well as numerous churches in Midland were designed by Dow's 
     son Alden. The Grace A. Dow Memorial Library is a hub of 
     activity seven days a week. The Midland Center for the Arts 
     and the Dow Gardens are famous the world over. Eighty-three 
     years after Herbert Henry Dow began the practice, churches 
     still continue to receive money each year from a foundation 
     set up for just such a purpose. Schools receive money from a 
     similar source.
       On May 16, a new science exhibit ``Chemistry Is Electric!'' 
     will open in the Carriage

[[Page E1023]]

     House of the Bradley Home Museum in Midland, at 3200 Cook 
     Road. On May 18, ``A Century of Progress 1897-1997'' will 
     open at the Midland Center for the Arts at 1801 West St. 
     Andrews. On May 20, ``A Perspective on Knighton-Hammond'' 
     will be presented at the MCFTA with a free public reception 
     at Arts Midland Galleries at 8 p.m. Arthur Henry Knighton-
     Hammond did a series of paintings and drawings for Dr. Dow in 
     the 1920s.
       In Shakespeare's ``Richard the Second'', John of Gaunt 
     speaks of England calling it ``This other Eden, demiparadise. 
     . . .'' Each person has his or her own perspective, of 
     course, but for one who grew up in Midland as I did, John of 
     Gaunt's description could apply to the village that became a 
     city because of Dr. Herbert Henry Dow. His death in 1930 has 
     not diminished the work he accomplished and Midland is all 
     the richer because he lived here.
                                                                    ____


                [From the Bay City Times, May 16, 1997]

                    Dow Honors Jennison Partnership

                        (By Kelly Adrian Frick)

       Midland.--David Jennison Lowrie grew up hearing stories 
     about how his grandfather helped get the Dow Chemical Co. 
     started.
       Everyone associated with the Jennison Hardware Co, knew 
     that his grandfather William Jennison had sold Herbert H. 
     Dow--the founder of Dow Chemical--some shovels in 1897. They 
     were sold on credit.
       ``It's a nice story,'' Lowrie said. ``Dow has been a 
     customer ever since.''
       Thursday, Lowrie, the chairman of Jennison Hardware Co.'s 
     board of directors got a chance to make his own history.
       Lowrie was recognized at Dow Chemical Co.'s 100th 
     stockholders meeting, where people and businesses that helped 
     shape the Midland-based company during its 100 years in 
     operation were honored. The event was held at the Midland 
     Center for the Arts.
       The story goes that Dow eventually paid the $75 back to 
     Jennison.
       Had H.H. Dow paid his bill in Dow stock rather than cash, 
     the shovel deal would be worth $5 million today, said Dan 
     Fellner, a spokesman for Dow Chemical.
       Lowrie received a shovel engraved with a thank-you note on 
     its handle from Dow Chemical President William E. 
     Stavropoulos during a press conference after the stockholders 
     meeting.
       ``We'll probably hang it up in the office,'' and Lowrie, 
     who lives in Birmingham.
       Jennison Hardware Co., which operates from 1200 Woodside 
     Ave. now, started almost 50 years before H.H. Dow arrived in 
     Midland to start a chemical company. The hardware supply 
     business was well established when Dow became a customer, 
     Lowrie said.
       As the story goes, Lowrie said, the shovel deal wasn't the 
     only time Dow needed some time paying a bill. Several years 
     later, according to Lowrie, Dow asked a Jennison salesman if 
     he would accept some Dow stock instead of cash. The Jennison 
     brothers, one being Lowrie's grandfather, took the stock and 
     put their own cash into the Jennison company's cash register.
       ``That's how I became a Dow stockholder,'' Lowrie said of 
     the tale. ``I inherited some of that stock.''
       The Jennison Hardware Co. operated out of the five-story 
     building at the corner of Fifth and Water streets at the 
     time. Each floor was filled with hardware and building 
     supplies. A slide that wound down from the top floor helped 
     to fill orders, Lowrie remembered.
       Today, the building is being turned into expensive 
     condominiums and is called Jennison Place. ``I'm glad that 
     the project will keep the Jennison name,'' Lowrie said. ``It 
     keeps a little of that history intact.''

              [From the Midland Daily News, May 18, 1997]

          Midland Is Grateful for the Giant That Stuck Around

                  (By Geri Rudolf of the Saginaw News)

       They called him ``Crazy'' Dow.
       As Herbert H. Dow poked holes in the ground in search of 
     brine in 1897, some folks scoffed openly about his chances 
     for success.
       Today, those who work and play here have a different 
     impression of the dreamer who dared to start a chemical 
     company in a nowhere place in the middle of Michigan.
       Midland is grateful--and showing it.
       The community, not the company, is throwing the birthday 
     bash for The Dow Chemical Co.
       The ``Celebration of the Century'' lasts more than a week 
     and features activities for people of all ages and interests. 
     It includes art, music and theater productions and ends with 
     a family-oriented Field Day on Memorial Day, May 26.
       Many believe the tribute is appropriate based on Dow's 
     century-long commitment and contributions.
       ``Midland is a dot on the map that had every right to be 
     the size of West Branch, but it is the head of a 
     multinational corporation,'' said David E. Fry, president of 
     Midland-based Northwood University.
       ``When a milestone comes, you should celebrate it.''
       From its humble start in an old mill, Dow Chemical has 
     grown to 94 manufacturing sites and 188 sales offices and 
     service centers in 30 countries. It sells $20 billion worth 
     of products a year.
       Despite its international scope, Dow has never budged from 
     Midland. Instead, it has enriched the city with contributions 
     for education, health care and the arts.
       ``It is really the foundation of the town,'' Fry said, 
     noting that company dollars helped build parks, recreation 
     centers and the Midland Center for the Arts.
       Even its critics acknowledge Dow's generosity.
       ``Dow has done a lot of things in Midland,'' said Mary P. 
     Sinclair, a Midland resident who has long voiced concern 
     about Dow's impact on the environment.
       ``There is no question that they made contributions to the 
     community. The Dow family made an investment here and it has 
     continued.''
       Dow's presence also has brought cultural diversity to 
     Midland, Fry said.
       ``We have all types of people from all over the world,'' he 
     said. ``Kids from 50 countries are in our schools.''
       Having such a mix in a small community is rare, experts 
     say.
       Although many companies have manufacturing plants in small 
     towns, few keep their headquarters in the little cities where 
     they started, said Andrew J. Such, executive director of the 
     Michigan Chemical Council on Lansing.
       ``Dow is unusual, but I think they are very proud of where 
     they came from,'' he said.
       ``It's unique to have a world headquarters in a city the 
     size of Midland.''
       John N. Bartos, a longtime Midland engineer and developer, 
     is among the leading organizers of the centennial 
     celebration.
       He was at a Dow-sponsored community information panel 
     meeting in May 1995 when a company public relations person 
     sought opinions about events the company was considering 
     hosting.
       Bartos responded that he shoulder the celebration.
       ``If you pay for your own birthday party, it doesn't say 
     much,'' Bartos said.
       He discovered that others felt the same way. Volunteers 
     surfaced by the dozens and ideas flowed.
       Dow staff quietly backed off their plans and let the 
     community take charge of the party.
       ``We hoped that we didn't interfere too much with what they 
     wanted to do, but we felt strongly that it had to be 
     something the community gave to them,'' Bartos said.
       About 60 core volunteers brainstormed in late 1995 and came 
     up with some 50 ideas for the ``Celebration of the Century.''
       ``We voted, and seven of them really rose to the top,'' he 
     said.
       More than 300 volunteers helped coordinate events, said 
     Caludia A. Wallin, manager of community and employee programs 
     at the Midland Cogeneration Venture.
       Field Day alone needed 15 subcommittees to organize, said 
     Wallin, the day's overall coordinator.
       While neither Bartos nor Wallin would reveal how much the 
     party is costing, they call it a ``significant amount.'' All 
     funds were donated.
       Dow officials say they are touched by all the work.
       ``We at Dow feel quite humbled by the efforts of the 
     community organizers and volunteers working on the 
     Celebration of the Century,'' said Rick Gross, vice president 
     and director of Michigan Operations and global core 
     technologies research and development.
       ``I am so impressed by the organizing group and I am very 
     proud to have these people as my Midland neighbors.''

     

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