Schjeldahl Entrepreneur Records, 1901-2002
Collection Overview
Title: Schjeldahl Entrepreneur Records, 1901-2002
ID: OGLMC1433
Primary Creator: Schjeldahl, Gilmore T. (1912-2002)
Extent: 7.5 Linear Feet
Date Acquired: 09/29/2001. More info below under Accruals.
Subjects: Business and Industry
Languages: English
Abstract
Scope and Contents of the Materials
The Schjeldahl Entrepreneur Records have been divided into six series as follows:
Series 1: Sheldahl, Inc.: General Business Records
Series 2: Sheldahl, Inc.: Designs, Patents, and Products
Series 3: G.T. Schjeldahl's Other Companies
Series 4: G.T. Schjeldahl, Personal
Series 5: Photographs
Series 6: Films
Collection Historical Note
The legacy of Gilmore T. Schjeldahl (Shelly) began in 1948 when he created a bag making machine in the basement of his Minneapolis home. Herb Harris invested $100 in the venture, which enabled Shelly to fill his first order for large bags to be used as barrel liners for pickles, beginning a new business called Herb-Shelly, Inc. In 1949, the company moved from Shelly's basement to a small shop in Farmington, MN. By 1954, the company had $500,000 annual sales and 100 employees. The company started experimenting with lamination at this time, researching adhesives for a new flexible Dupont polymer called Mylar. The company was also involved in the fabrication of a balloon for the Office of Naval Research at the University of Minnesota. In May of 1954, Herb-Shelly was acquired by Brown and Bigelow, a St. Paul advertising products firm. Shelly resigned and left the company on January 8, 1955.
On January 21, 1955, Shelly began making plans for a new company to be located in the basement of the Medical Arts building in Northfield, MN. The company secured a contract in April 1955 to create atmospheric research balloons made with Mylar polyester film, held together with an adhesive system that Shelly developed. On September 1, 1955, the G.T. Schjeldahl Company (the Company) went public. In addition to balloons, the Company manufactured bag-making machines and heat-sealing adhesive tape. Eventually the G. T. Schjeldahl Company began developing a line of adhesive tapes for polyester bonding called Schjel-Bond (GT100, GT200, GT300, and GT400). Early in the Company's history two key individuals were hired, Dick Slater as project engineer and Jim Womack as a salesman. In December 1955, the G. T. Schjeldahl Company shipped its first automatic side-weld polyethylene bag-making machine to the Chase Bag Company in Los Angeles.
During this time, the G. T. Schjeldahl Company was divided into the Mechanical (packaging machinery) and the Polyester Film (balloons, special fabrication, and Schjel-Bond) Divisions. It sold more than 40 Mylar polyester stratospheric balloons by February 1956. The Company's balloons received national acclaim when one balloon climbed 27 miles into the air (a record), beginning in Minnesota, and traveling over seven states for almost three days before landing in a field in Kentucky.
The plastics were developed for more commercial use in "Schjeldomes," which were air- supported buildings. They only cost 98 cents per square foot and could be seen covering a swimming pool at Lutsen Resort on Lake Superior, an office and display center, and a storage building at Dupont's laboratories, to name just a few. In 1958, the G. T. Schjeldahl Company moved to a new location at the north edge of Northfield, and built a 340 foot long air-supported factory called the "Schjel-Mile." Eventually, the entire 54 acre operations center was called "Schjel-Town," and contained two Schjel-Miles, a factory and other small buildings, and a general office and laboratory.
Many federal government sponsored programs, such as Echo, PAGEOS, Pegasus, ROBIN, and ROSE, depended on the Company's research for their success. Some of the processes that Shelly learned from working on these government projects are still used in the Company's circuitry and other products.
The G. T. Schjeldahl Company received national fame for designing and building Echo I, a communications satellite which bounced television and radio signals back to earth, making coast to coast transmission of television possible. This "satelloon" was launched from Cape Canaveral on August 12, 1960, and was the largest object ever sent into orbit at that time. It was America's way of competing with the Russian satellite Sputnik; however, unlike Sputnik, Echo I could be seen from earth, and was followed by Americans and newspapers across the country. Echo I enabled America to create a satellite-based global telecommunications network.
The G.T. Schjeldahl Company also made the laminate and adhesive materials for the Polaris submarine missile program. These environmental seals, which were called diaphragms, kept water out of the sub until a missile was released.
G. T. Schjeldahl Company products and technology using vacuum deposition and lamination were used on the Pegasus satellite, putting the Company into the vacuum deposition business. Thermal control coatings for spacecraft, x-ray sensors, radar-absorbing films, Novaclad, and keypads for computer keyboards all were the result of vacuum deposition.
Balloons (Stratoscope II, ROBIN, Stargazer, and Voyager) continued to be an important part of the Company during the early 1960s. The most significant year was 1964. It was then that NASA launched Echo II. Arthur Hatch became President of the Company in 1964, but Shelly remained Chairman of the Board and Treasurer. The Company's Mechanical Division expanded into the European market. The Company also acquired a paper company in Rhode Island, and moved its packaging machinery operations there, making Jim Womack the head. It also acquired several electronic connector manufacturers.
By 1965, the G. T. Schjeldahl Company had three divisions, Advance Programs, (government research and marketing); Packaging Machinery (bag making); and, Electrical Products. From 1966 through 1971, the Company's Packaging Machinery Division expanded into shrink- wrapping and blow molding. In addition, the Company was considered a pioneer in flexible circuitry (created by using the Company's laminating technology). The Company supplied flexible circuitry for products such as Polaroid cameras and Ford's 1968 cars.
The weakening economy in 1967 caused government supported research to decrease. G. T. Schjeldahl Company sales decreased and net income decreased 60%. Arthur Hatch resigned as President in 1967, and was replaced by George L. Freeman. Shelly also resigned as Chairman of the Board, and started Giltech, a company which concerned itself primarily with making bottles through the blow molding process. The Giltech Company merged with another plastics company, Rainville, in 1972, and became Rainville, Inc. Eventually Rainville, Inc. merged with, and became, Universal Dynamics (UnaDyn), a company headquartered in Woodbridge, VA. In 1970, Shelly also created the Plastic Netting Machine Company. This company developed and produced devices for feeding and filling rigid plastic containers.
Meanwhile, the G. T. Schjeldahl Company struggled as sales continued to decline, down to 16.1 million from under 20 million in 1967, and continued to decline through 1970. In 1971, George L. Freeman resigned as Company President, and James Womack took over the helm. The Company and its products line then began to grow.
In 1974, the G. T. Schjeldahl Company changed its name to Sheldahl, Inc. (the Company or Sheldahl) because it was easier to spell, and it was hoped people would then pronounce it correctly. The Company achieved world-wide status for its materials technology. It was the nation's largest independent producer of flexible circuitry, and was also one of the largest suppliers of packaging material in the Western Hemisphere. Sheldahl also produced laminates and tapes, aerospace thermal control products, helicopter blade liners, flexible circuits, aerostats, membrane switches, aircraft keyboard instrumentation, and worked on products for solar energy programs.
Sheldahl built the bioshield for the unmanned spacecraft Viking which landed on Mars in 1975, and Sheldahl thermal control materials have been on every space shuttle mission since Columbia in 1981. The Company also supplied materials for the Alaska Pipeline.
In 1977, Sheldahl realized that it had branched out into too many areas and was too diverse. The Company decided to focus exclusively on materials and circuitry, and sold the businesses that did not fall under this umbrella. In the area of flexible circuitry, the Company invented the Flexswitch, which is used in microwaves and washing machines, as well as in office equipment, and supplied flexible circuitry to automobile manufacturers.
In the area of Packaging Machinery, Sheldahl's bag machine output was 5000 by 1980, beginning with only one in 1955. Any plastic bag that is used today was probably manufactured on a Sheldahl machine, or at the very least, a machine using Sheldahl technology. However, this division was sold in 1980 in order to focus on materials and circuitry.
In 1978, Shelly suffered a mild heart attack. During his recovery, he pondered techniques for opening up blocked arteries. This led to another business venture, the Cathedyne Corporation. Shelly worked with his cardiologist on improving coronary angioplasty catheters. The Cathedyne Corporation was sold to Angiomedics, Inc., a subsidiary of Pfizer, Inc., of Minneapolis, in 1983.
In 1987, Sheldahl signed an agreement with Sumitomo Bakelite Company of Tokyo, to manufacture and market flexible circuits and circuitry components. In 1988, James Womack stepped down as President and became Chairman of the Board, and James E. Donaghy became President. New products included Z-link, Novaclad in 1990, Novaflex in 1991, Novalink in 1993, and ViaGrid in 1994.
In 1993, Sheldahl led a consortium to help manufacture cheaper multichip modules (MCMs). Longmont, Colorado, was the site of the Company's pilot plant. The Longmont facility placed Sheldahl squarely into the data communications market. Sheldahl was also still active in aerospace during this time. Both the satellite Magellan (1989) and the Hubble telescope (1990) contained Sheldahl products and insulation materials. In 1989, the Company opened a flexible circuit finishing plant in Aberdeen, SD, and a second one was opened in Britton, SD, in 1993. Thermal control materials continue to be needed in spacecraft and satellites.
Sheldahl products and designs have been, and continue to be, used by all of us in our daily lives. In 2000, Sheldahl merged with International Flex Technologies, headquartered in New York.
Gilmore T. (Shelly) Schjeldahl died on March 10, 2002, in Lenox, Massachusetts.
Subject/Index Terms
Administrative Information
Repository: Elwyn B. Robinson Department of Special Collections
Accruals: Additional material was donated by Bruce Gjovig, UND Center for Innovation, in May 2002 (Acc.2003-2603).
Access Restrictions: Open for inspection under the rules and regulations of the Elwyn B. Robinson Department of Special Collections.
Acquisition Source: Gilmore Schjeldahl, Lenox, Massachusetts (via Bruce Gjovig, UND Center for Innovation)
Acquisition Method: Donation; Acc.2001-2537
Preferred Citation: (Description of Item). Schjeldahl Entrepreneur Records. OGLMC 1433, Box #, Folder #. Elwyn B. Robinson Department of Special Collections, Chester Fritz Library, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks.
Finding Aid Revision History: Finding aid migrated to Archon in February 2015.
Box and Folder Listing
Browse by Series:
[Series 1: Sheldahl, Inc.: General Business Records],
[Series 2: Sheldahl, Inc.: Designs, Patents, and Products],
[Series 3: G.T. Schjeldahl's Other Companies],
[Series 4: G.T. Schjeldahl, Personal],
[Series 5: Photographs],
[Series 6: Films],
[All]
- Series 1: Sheldahl, Inc.: General Business Records
- This series contains the general business records of Sheldahl, Inc. (Sheldahl or the Company), which are broken down into many subseries.
- Sub-Series 1: Company History
- The Company History subseries contains four books describing the history of the Company from its beginning in 1955, continuing through 1995; information about the Company's 40th anniversary celebration; and various magazine and newspaper articles about Gilmore T. Schjeldahl (Shelly) and Sheldahl.
- Box 1
- Folder 1: "Optical Thermal and Control Space Deployables," 1955-1973
- Folder 2: "Management Capabilities"
- Folder 3: "The Inside Story," 1955-1988
- Folder 4: "Forty Years of Innovation: The Sheldahl Story," 1955-1995
- Folder 5: 40th Anniversary, 1995
- Folder 6: Miscellaneous Company Biographies, 1945-1995
- Folder 1: "Optical Thermal and Control Space Deployables," 1955-1973
- Box 1
- Sub-Series 2: Annual Reports
- Sub-Series 3: Meetings
- The Meetings subseries contains information related to Sheldahl management and shareholder meetings and discussions, as well as reports to shareholders. Also included are Annual Meeting Summary Brochures for 1955-1974, 1980-1985, and 1990-1996. These brochures contain Company financial highlights for an entire year or part of a year, i.e., a fiscal quarter. There is also a file containing information from the mortgage and debt financing discussions from 1965 through 1966, detailing ways to finance the Company in order to alleviate long term debt, and discussions about building a new, larger office complex/building.
- Box 1
- Folder 12: Meetings With Management Team, 1979-1992
- Folder 13: Annual Meeting Summary Brochures, 1955-1974, 1980-1985, 1990-1996
- Folder 14: Notice of Annual Meeting of Shareholders, 1970-1982, 1987-1999
- Folder 15: Reports to Shareholders, 1957-1961
- Folder 16: Mortgage and Debt Financing Discussion, 1965-1966
- Folder 12: Meetings With Management Team, 1979-1992
- Box 1
- Sub-Series 4: Reports
- The Reports subseries contains the Securities and Exchange Commission Reports of Sheldahl from 1969, and 1996 through 1999.
- Sub-Series 5: Calendars
- The Calendars subseries contains photocopies of three small spiral notebooks kept by Shelly, from 1963 through 1964, in which he wrote meetings, appointments, and brief summaries of the events happening and/or transpiring on a particular day.
- Sub-Series 6: Check Registers
- The Check Registers subseries contains two check registers, one from 1961 through 1962, showing the expenses and purchases made by Shelly and Sheldahl. The other, from 1979 through 1983, is the check register of Sheldahl from the First Security State Bank.
- Sub-Series 7: Expense Reports
- The Expense Reports subseries contains expense reports and daily logs from 1977 through 1978, and 1990. These reports show not only Shelly's expenses but also give detailed accounts of Company-related activities each day.
- Sub-Series 8: Miscellaneous Business Organization
- The Miscellaneous Business Organization subseries contains items such as time cards of Sheldahl employees from 1968 through 1970; a mousepad with the Company logo on it; a business card of James S. Womack; a chart showing the product capabilities of the Company for 1955, 1963, and the future; a mailing list from 1970 to 1971 of those individuals wishing to receive Sheldahl brochures, financial statements, and other Company publications, such as its annual reports; memos from Sheldahl employees, particularly James S. Womack, from 1971- 1974; three undated organizational charts showing Company management and employees; and, a file containing information on the Center for Innovation and Business Development from 1989 through 1994, as it relates to Shelly and Sheldahl. Within this file, there is a biography of Shelly written by Bruce Gjovig, the Director of the Center for Innovation and Business Development.
- Box 2
- Folder 2: Time Cards, 1968-1970
- Folder 3: Mouse Pad
- Folder 4: Business Card
- Folder 5: "Evolution of G.T.S. Co. Product Capabilities," 1955 and 1963
- Folder 6: Mailing List, 1970-1971
- Folder 7: Memos, 1971-1974
- Folder 8: Organizational Charts
- Folder 9: Center for Innovation and Business Development, 1989-1994
- Folder 2: Time Cards, 1968-1970
- Box 2
- Sub-Series 9: Litigation
- The Litigation subseries contains Shelly's affidavit related to litigation between Dupont and the Union Carbide Corporation, concerning polyethylene film. This file also contains the agreement between Shelly (doing business as Plastic Netting Machine Company) and Dupont from February 1, 1972, regarding payment, as well as two letters of correspondence from Dupont to Shelly, and other documents relating to Shelly's dealings with Dupont in the mid-1970s.
- Sub-Series 10: Newsletters
- The Newsletters subseries contains Sheldahl newsletters and bulletins which were published monthly or quarterly. Some, such as "The Fine Line," were designed for employees only; however, most of the newsletters were designed for employees, as well as for the general public. The bulk of the newsletters are from the early 1970s through the late 1980s.
- Sub-Series 11: Company Publications
- The Company Publications subseries contains publications by Sheldahl of its products, from the early beginnings of the Company through the late 1990s. The publications are separated into files according to the Company division which produced the brochure or booklet. Included are publications about Skydomes and “Schjeldomes,” as well as two spiral bound books showing thermal products and materials.
- Box 2
- Folder 15: Product Bulletins
- Folder 16: Advanced Products Division, 1973-1976
- Folder 17: Bag Making Machines
- Folder 18: Flexible Interconnect
- Folder 19: Micro Products, 1998-1999
- Folder 20: Packaging Machinery Division
- Folder 21: Products/Services
- Folder 22: "Schjeldome"
- Folder 23: Technical Materials (Part I)
- Folder 24: Technical Materials (Part II), 1995
- Folder 25: Miscellaneous Company Publications
- Folder 15: Product Bulletins
- Box 2
- Sub-Series 12: Outside Publications About Sheldahl
- The Outside Publications About Sheldahl subseries contains publications about the Company. Of particular note is the Ghost (Global HOrizontal Sounding Technique) summary from May 1969, relating to the Ghost weather balloon and ATMOSAT 'America' (atmospheric satellite), also pertaining to ballooning. In addition, the Miscellaneous Outside Publications file contains brochures and magazine ads showing products with Sheldahl designs and innovations, such as the Kodak XL-55 movie camera; the Polaroid SX-70 land camera; Mylar used in the Project Echo satellite balloons; and, the Texas Instruments Model 733ASK silent teletypewriter. The final three files contain Craig Hallum Monthly Commentary Newsletters, which include stock and financial information about Sheldahl; Craig Hallum’s research reports on Sheldahl; and, Craig Hallum's billing to Sheldahl.
- Box 2
- Folder 26: "Ghost, A Technical Summary," May 1969
- Folder 27: "ATMOSAT 'America,'" July 1976
- Folder 28: Miscellaneous Outside Publications, 1969, 1973-1976, 1993-1997
- Folder 29: Craig Hallum, Inc.: Monthly Commentary Newsletters, 1973-1974
- Folder 30: Craig Hallum, Inc.: Research Reports on Sheldahl, 1976 and 1990
- Folder 31: Craig Hallum, Inc.: Billing, 1974-1976
- Folder 26: "Ghost, A Technical Summary," May 1969
- Box 2
- Sub-Series 13: Competitor Publications
- The Competitor publications subseries contains brochures, booklets, and other publications from 1981 to 1996 by individuals and companies who were competitors of Sheldahl.
- Sub-Series 14: News Releases
- The News Releases subseries contains press and news releases relating to Sheldahl products and developments, as well as other Company employees, including Shelly, from the early 1960s though the late 1990s.
- Sub-Series 15: Newspaper Clippings
- The Newspaper Clippings subseries contains two files with newspaper clippings related to Shelly, his employees, and his companies, from 1954 through 2000. Part I has the actual newspaper clippings and Part II has copies of newspaper clippings.
- Sub-Series 16: Interviews, Speeches, and Presentations
- The Interviews, Speeches, and Presentations subseries contains interviews with Shelly, as well as speeches made by him about the Company and/or himself. Of particular note is the "Keeping the Creative Fires Burning" Presentation file. It contains Shelly's presentation speech at an innovations workshop, as well as the overhead transparencies, pictures, brochures, and the Echo I skin samples that he used during the presentation.
- Sub-Series 17: Correspondence
- The Correspondence subseries contains three files of correspondence letters. One is Shelly's correspondence from 1947 through 1997. The James Womack file contains his correspondence from 1971 through 1976, as well as the letter indicating the Company name change from Schjeldahl to Sheldahl. The Ford Motor Company file contains Shelly’s correspondence with them in 1974 through 1975 regarding retrofit energy saving devices used for cars, and other emission control devices which improve fuel economy and contribute to energy conservation. This file also has copies of newspaper articles related to emissions and energy conservation.
- Sub-Series 18: Miscellaneous
- The Miscellaneous subseries contains correspondence, receipts, and other documents from the mid-1950s though 2000, relating to the general business records of the Company.
- Sub-Series 1: Company History
Browse by Series:
[Series 1: Sheldahl, Inc.: General Business Records],
[Series 2: Sheldahl, Inc.: Designs, Patents, and Products],
[Series 3: G.T. Schjeldahl's Other Companies],
[Series 4: G.T. Schjeldahl, Personal],
[Series 5: Photographs],
[Series 6: Films],
[All]