Papers of Jerome B. Schapiro

Jerome B. Schapiro (1930-2007) was an American chemical engineer and dry cleaning industry executive. Born in Newark, New Jersey in 1930, Schapiro graduated from Syracuse University and did graduate work at Columbia University. Prior to his business career, he served as an officer in the United States Air Force during the Korean War. After his military service, Schapiro was the President of Dixo Company, Incorporated, a supplier of dry cleaning products based in Rochelle Park, New Jersey. At Dixo Company, he developed several formulations that are still used in the dry cleaning industry.

In addition to his business activities, Schapiro was a noted expert on textile chemistry. He was an active member of several American and international policy and advocacy organizations concerned with textile product and safety standards, including the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), the American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists (AATCC), and the American Society for Testing Materials (ASTM). Schapiro was one of two United States Congress designated experts in his field named in the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Care Label rules for textiles, which he played an important role in developing. He was also an active member of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), serving on committees and sub-committees dealing with textiles, laundering, and color fastness.

Jerome B. Schapiro passed away on October 30, 2007.

Sources

Obituary for Jerome Schapiro, Middletown (New York) Times-Herald Record, November 4, 2007 - Jerome Schapiro - Local Obituaries - recordonline.com - Middletown, NY

Papers of Jerome B. Schapiro, Science History Institute Archives, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.