R. Stanton Avery (January 13, 1907 – December 12, 1997) was an American inventor, most known for creating self-adhesive labels (modern
sticker
A sticker is a type of label: a piece of printed paper, plastic, vinyl, or other material with temporary or permanent pressure sensitive adhesive on one side. It can be used for decoration or for functional purposes, depending on the situation. ...
s). Using a $100 loan from his then-fiancé Dorothy Durfee, and combining used machine parts with a saber saw, he created and patented the world's first self-adhesive (also called pressure sensitive) die-cut labeling machine. In 1935, he founded what is now the
Avery Dennison Corporation
Avery Dennison Corporation is a multinational manufacturer and distributor of pressure-sensitive adhesive materials (such as self-adhesive labels), apparel branding labels and tags, RFID inlays, and specialty medical products. The company is a ...
.
Avery served as chairman of the board of trustees of
California Institute of Technology
The California Institute of Technology (branded as Caltech or CIT)The university itself only spells its short form as "Caltech"; the institution considers other spellings such a"Cal Tech" and "CalTech" incorrect. The institute is also occasional ...
, and was a member of the board of trustees of the
Huntington Library
The Huntington Library, Art Museum and Botanical Gardens, known as The Huntington, is a collections-based educational and research institution established by Henry E. Huntington (1850–1927) and Arabella Huntington (c.1851–1924) in San Mar ...
and the board of trustees of the
Los Angeles County Museum of Art
The Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) is an art museum located on Wilshire Boulevard in the Miracle Mile, Los Angeles, California, Miracle Mile vicinity of Los Angeles. LACMA is on Museum Row, adjacent to the La Brea Tar Pits (George C. Pa ...
.
Avery House at
Caltech
The California Institute of Technology (branded as Caltech or CIT)The university itself only spells its short form as "Caltech"; the institution considers other spellings such a"Cal Tech" and "CalTech" incorrect. The institute is also occasional ...
is named after him.
Early life
Ray Stanton Avery was born on January 13, 1907, in Oklahoma City. Avery lived in a rented chicken coop and worked at the
Midnight Mission
The Midnight Mission is a human services organization in downtown Los Angeles' Skid Row. as a clerk in order to put himself through college.
Education
After dropping out for a year to live in China, Avery graduated from
Pomona College
Pomona College ( ) is a private liberal arts college in Claremont, California. It was established in 1887 by a group of Congregationalists who wanted to recreate a "college of the New England type" in Southern California. In 1925, it became ...
with a humanities degree in 1932.
Stickers
National Sticker Day is celebrated on January 13, in honor of R. Stanton Avery, who was born on that day.
While gum paste (requiring moistening) had been used on labels since the 1880s,
R. Stanton Avery is credited with creating the first pressure-sensitive
sticker
A sticker is a type of label: a piece of printed paper, plastic, vinyl, or other material with temporary or permanent pressure sensitive adhesive on one side. It can be used for decoration or for functional purposes, depending on the situation. ...
(self-adhering without moistening) in 1935.
Philanthropy
Stan Avery donated generously to educational and arts institutions. He was known for philanthropy in Southern California, having supported the California Institute of Technology, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and the Huntington Library.
In 1996, Avery created Avery House Avery House may refer to:
*Avery House, a dormitory within the House System at the California Institute of Technology
*Avery House (Fort Collins, Colorado), a National Register of Historic Places listing in Larimer County, Colorado
* Avery House (G ...
at Caltech, a residence housing undergraduates, graduate students and faculty.
See also
*Dunbeath Castle
Dunbeath Castle is located on the east coast of Caithness, south of Dunbeath, in northern Scotland
Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scot ...
, purchased by Avery in 1976.
References
1907 births
1997 deaths
20th-century American engineers
20th-century American inventors
Pomona College alumni
Engineers from Oklahoma
People from Oklahoma City
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