Biographical Information
Born in Meridian, Idaho in 1912, Bill Gore held degrees in chemical engineering (B.S., 1933) and physical chemistry (M.S., 1935) from the University of Utah in Salt Lake City. His early career included employment at American Smelting and Refining Company, Remington Arms, and the DuPont Company. In 1957, Gore left a career with DuPont to pursue an idea for making electronic ribbon cable for use in computers that was insulated with polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE).
Bill and Vieve started their company in the basement of their Newark, Delaware home in 1958. Under Gore’s leadership, the company grew from a modest business into an international corporation known best for its waterproof, breathable Gore-Tex fabrics. Today, the company has a broad portfolio of products based on PTFE that include cables for electronic signal transmission, diverse industrial applications, medical implants and laminated fabrics.
Gore served as president of W. L. Gore & Associates until he stepped down in 1976. However, Gore maintained his position as Chairman of the Board until his death. He died of a heart attack at the age of 74 in July 1986 while on a backpacking trip in Wyoming's Wind River Range.
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