AKRON (Aug. 17) — James D. D´Ianni, 93, retired Goodyear director of research who did pioneering work in synthetic rubber and won the ACS Rubber Division´s Charles Goodyear Medal in 1977, died Aug. 14 in Akron.
D´Ianni´s work as a chemist included developing a high-styrene copolymer with butadiene. He served as chairman of the Rubber Division and has been the only member of the division to be president of the parent American Chemical Society. In that post he also was the first ACS president to travel to China.
He spent his entire career at Goodyear after graduating from the University of Akron in 1934. In 1946 he took a leave of absence from Goodyear to become chief of the polymer research branch of the Office of Rubber Reserve, the government organization that developed styrene-butadiene rubber and sparked the creation of the SR industry.
D´Ianni was the holder or co-holder of 17 patents.
His wife of 52 years, Dorothy Osterstock, died in 1992, and he is survived by their daughter, Vicki Bitner; three grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren. He also is survived by his second wife, Claire Goble; and three sisters.
A memorial service for family and friends will be held at Akron´s Goodyear Polymer Center on Sept. 7 at 11 a.m. in Room 229.