Macromolecular concept, history

There is an increased awareness of the place in history of science, particularly polymer science where many of those who contributed the basic building blocks are still alive. Ray Seymour is doing a series on the Pioneers of Polymer Science for Polymer News. Fred Eirich has been asked by the Journal of Chemical Education to write a history of the development of the "macromolecular concept." (As a side comment, those associated with the Journal of Chemical Education such as Tom Lippincott, have been "friendly" towards polymer chemistry and have assisted in the attempt to bring polymer chemistry into the mainstream of material presented to both the teaching staff and chemistry students alike). 

History has shown that each time a major new architecture has been discovered it has been accompanied by the emergence of a plethora of new properties, concepts, applications, products, and activities, all of which have led to enhanced new commercial markets, quality of life, and prosperity. Since the mid 1930s, four major macromolecular architectures have evolved leading to well-known classes of... 

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