Cleveland Leads the Way: Industrial History Explored

Explore the ways Cleveland is the home for new discoveries and developments as Frank Piccirillo hosts experts on the history of Cleveland’s role in various industries.

1:30 p.m. Cleveland’s National Historic Chemical Landmarks: A Story of Science and Industry – Helen Mayer

Cleveland’s growth to an industrial powerhouse was shaped by steel, automobiles, and machinery, but also by the chemical industry. This program explores the eight seminal discoveries in Greater Cleveland recognized through the American Chemical Society’s National Historic Chemical Landmarks program, including dry-cell batteries, graphite fibers, aluminum, latex paint, fluorescent paint, and serotonin.

2:30 p.m. Orbiting Cleveland: TRW’s Past, Power, and Possibility – Keri Zipay

This session explores how TRW Inc. shaped Cleveland into a powerhouse of aerospace innovation—and how that legacy still fuels the region today. From pioneering space and defense technologies alongside NASA Glenn Research Center to building advanced manufacturing capabilities that rippled across Northeast Ohio, TRW’s story is one of technical audacity and industrial scale. Connect historic breakthroughs to today’s momentum in propulsion, advanced materials, and next-generation space systems.