Vernon K. Krieble

Vernon K. Krieble. Photo Credit: Rapid Electronics

Vernon K. Krieble (March 4, 1885-January 1964) was an American inventor and educator. He was born in Worcester, PA and only spoke German until beginning school. Krieble graduated from Brown University in 1907.

After graduation from Brown, Krieble served on the faculty at McGill University in Canada for 13 years as a chemistry demonstrator, lecturer, and eventually as a professor. In 1912 he was awarded the Canadian Governor General's Medal for the best research paper of the year by a McGill faculty member. Krieble came to Trinity College in 1920 as the Scoville Professor of Chemistry, a position he held until his retirement in 1955. At Trinity, Krieble had a reputation among students and faculty as being very involved with his students and one of the best teachers at Trinity at the time. He significantly built up the chemistry program and helped design and raise money for the Clement Chemistry Building.

Krieble is known for discovering Loctite, a chemical sealant, and in 1955 after retiring from Trinity at age 70, put his full attention toward producing it. Krieble had established American Sealants Company in 1953 while working at Trinity, and had discovered a way to make anaerobic permafil from tetraethylene glycol dimethyl ether in the Clement Chemistry Lab on Trinity's campus. The product of this process was a compound known to harden in the absence of air. Encouraged by his son, Bob to continue work on the product, Krieble found success and the first commercial sales of the product occurred in 1954. The Loctite name was trademarked in 1956. In 1963 American Sealants Company changed its name to Loctite Corporation.

Vernon Krieble died in 1964, leaving behind a wife, a daughter, and a son. The Vernon K. Krieble Foundation was created in his honor by his granddaughter.