Ralph Graff 'Mr. Rubber Division' dies at 94

WILMINGTON, Del.—Ralph S. Graff, retired from DuPont and for decades one of the most active members of the ACS Rubber Division, has died.

Officially dubbed "Mr. Rubber Division," Graff died this past May 25 at the Heartland Hospice in Wilmington at the age of 94. Living much of his life in Hockessin, Del., word of his death didn't come out until some months later, as a funeral mass was held for him Sept. 13.

Graff was born in Johnstown, Pa., and in 1947 graduated with a bachelor's degree in chemical engineering from the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown. His studies were interrupted by a 1943 World War II enlistment and 15 months of active duty service in the Philippines, U.S. Army, 6th Signal Corps.

He created the Ralph S. Graff Legacy Fund in the Engineering Technology Division at Pittsburgh Johnstown. In 2016, the school honored him with the Distinguished Alumni Legacy Award.

He started his rubber industry career in 1947 as a member of Goodyear's Flying Squadron.

But he spent the bulk of his career at DuPont, working there for 40 years, retiring as the head of market exploration.

Graff was active for more than 70 years in the Rubber Division, serving on countless committees and holding numerous offices, including chair of the division in 1980. He also served as the division's councilor to the American Chemical Society from 1982-96 and as chair of the 25 Year Club from 1982 to 2005 (a group he helped form). Graff also had been active in the Philadelphia Rubber Group, and was a member of the Rubber Band, a musical group of Philadelphia Rubber Group members who played at meetings.

Ed Miller, executive director of the Rubber Division, remembers Graff from when Miller first came to the technical association in 2001. Miller was asked to submit a report on the changes he believed needed to be made at the Rubber Division, and his assessment didn't sit well with many of the older board members.

"However, Ralph, even though a councilor and the oldest member of the board, embraced the changes and encouraged me to make them happen," Miller said. "We became good friends and spoke often on the phone with Ralph continuing his encouragement up to our last call just weeks before he passed away."

Miller said after Graff ended his term as councilor, he volunteered to take over as chair of the Science & Technology Award Committee at a time when it was faltering. "Ralph is the reason it is vibrant again today," Miller said.

One of Miller's other special memories of Graff was his assuming personal sponsorship of the Chemistry of Thermoplastic Elastomers Award, forming the Ralph S. Graff Foundation to fund it. Graff also continued his active participation in the selection of award winners via telephone when he could no longer travel and attend meetings, according to Miller.

Because of his accomplishments and long tenure of participation in the division, Graff "was the only member to be formally proclaimed by our Executive Committee as 'Mr. Rubber Division,' a title he used every time we spoke," Miller quipped.

Several other former Rubber Division chairs had fond memories of Graff as well.

"Ralph was a phenomenal influence on Rubber Division policies," said Harold Herzlich, who was a past chair and also retired last year as technical editor of Rubber & Plastics News. "We all knew when Ralph was in the room by the very loud, colorful sport jackets he usually wore. It is a pleasure to have known him. He will be missed."

John Long, former division chair and current councilor for the association, said he remembers Graff when he attended his first meeting of the Rubber Division Executive Committee. "I was an hour or so late due to some travel difficulties and as I walked into the room I was told my first duty was to cancel our meeting in Kansas City, Mo., which was two years away," Long said. "Normal cancellations without a penalty is three years. Ralph took me aside and helped me understand what I had to do negotiating our way out of the contract, which proved successful."

Long, who stood in when Graff was too ill to receive the Distinguished Alumni award from the University of Pittsburgh Johnstown, said it was clear Graff kept up with the industry when participating on Science and Awards Committee conference calls.

"It was evident that he was still well connected with the industry and with people in the industry," Long said. "He would bring up items that many of us were not aware of."

Robert Pett, who is retired from Ford Motor Co. and served as Rubber Division chair in 1988, recalled how Graff often used his skills as a negotiator to the division's benefit. He especially remembers a time in 1987 when they were preparing for Pett's year as chair, and the two sat down with a representative of the hotel that was going to host both the Suppliers' Cooperative Reception and the Chair's reception.

After first bargaining to get a great price for the supplier's reception, Graff asked Pett to describe what type of spread it wanted for the chair's reception.

"When I was all done, he told the hotel that we wanted all that at no additional cost to what he had already negotiated," Pett said. "As you can imagine, the request was beyond the capability of the shocked representative. In the end, the Rubber Division received an elegant chair's reception at less than one-tenth of what the hotel had expected to charge.

"Ralph's true role in this was only known to a few as he labored behind the scenes in this and many other ways to make our Rubber Division vibrant and successful."

Graff was preceded in death by his wife of 37 years, Ann Catherine; brother Joseph and wife Irene; brother George and wife Eleanor; brother Leo; niece Susan; and partner Evelyn Gebhart.

He is survived by brother Herman; sister-in-law Laura; nephews Frederick, Michael, Bill, Donald and Allan; nieces Patricia Hartsell, Debra Taylor, Diane Sherman, Karen Emard; and many great nieces and nephews.

The family asks that any donations be sent to the Ralph S. Graff Foundation, Rubber Division American Chemical Society, c/o Edward Miller, P.O. Box 499, Akron, Ohio, 44309.