July 30, 2025 • 10 mins
On this episode of Our American Stories, Kevlar is now a staple of body armor, trusted by law enforcement, military personnel, and first responders, but when Stephanie Kwolek first developed the fiber in a DuPont lab, it was almost thrown away. The material didn’t behave like others, and no one saw a use for it. Kwolek pushed for further testing, convinced it was worth more. That decision led to one of the most important safety innovations of the twentieth century. Kaela Rider from the Bill of Rights Institute shares how one overlooked discovery became the foundation for the modern bulletproof vest.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:17):
And we returned to our American stories. Up next, a
story of how a miracle fiber had saved the lives
of countless police officers and service members could have been
thrown in the trash if not for the audacious woman
who made it. Here to tell the story of Stephanie Kolek.
The woman who invented kevlar is Kayla Ryder. Let's get
(00:38):
into the story.
Speaker 2 (00:45):
It was February eleventh, twenty thirteen, typical day at Newcastle
County Courthouse in Delaware. It was cold and reigning, and
Corporal Stephen Reinhardt of the Capitol Police was on duty
manning the courthouse metal detector. Then chaos erupted. A gunman
opened fire, killing two women in cold blood. Reinhart immediately
(01:09):
gave chase and was shot in the chest at close
range by a handgun, but he didn't know it. On
that day, Reinhart became the latest of many police officers
who have had their life saved by a miracle fiber
known as kevlar. Kevlar, vess and body armor have saved
(01:29):
more than three thousand lives. But the most remarkable future
of kevlar maybe it's history. Stephanie Qualick was born in
nineteen twenty three a working class family just outside of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Her parents had emigrated from Poland, and her father, John,
(01:50):
worked in one of the area's many metal foundries. But
it was actually John Qualick's hobby that made a lifelong
impression on Stephanie.
Speaker 3 (02:01):
I had a father who was very much interested in
plants and trees. He and I spend a lot of
time just roaming through the woods looking for animals and
snakes and leaves and wild plants. And I put all
these things in a scrap. We grew vegetables and flowers
(02:23):
and so forth, so it's almost like living on a farm.
Speaker 2 (02:28):
She was hugged.
Speaker 3 (02:30):
I loved learning and loved learning new things. I found
it very exciting. So this probably made me what I
am today and what I was for many years.
Speaker 2 (02:47):
Stephanie's father died when she was just ten years old,
but her passion for science remained strong. She was an
excellent student and earned a place in Carnegie Mellon University's
Women's College and graduated in nineteen forty six with a
degree in chemistry and a warning from her professors. In
(03:08):
the nineteen forties, most women did not earn college degrees,
and even fewer pursued studies in the sciences dominated by men.
Qualack's professors told her that these women were increasingly abandoning
their aspirations for careers in the sciences and instead pursuing
more traditional work. But Qualick was not deterred. She applied
(03:30):
for work at several industrial companies, including chemical giant DuPont,
and that's where she caught the attention of pioneering DuPont scientists.
Doctor William Hale charge Charge was so impressed with Qualick
that he hired her on the spot to work as
a researcher at DuPont's Buffalo, New York facility.
Speaker 3 (03:49):
When I entered the workforce in nineteen forty six, not
many women were being hired, but the fear that were
They were hired because there were so few men available.
They were at war or just coming back war. So
women were being made offers. But that didn't mean, you know,
(04:11):
that the problem was completely solved, because women had a
very difficult time after they got jobs, and many women
did not stay very long.
Speaker 2 (04:23):
While there may not have been many female researchers at
DuPont at this time, Qualick was not intimidated.
Speaker 3 (04:30):
I was stubborn, and I decided that I was gonna
stick it out and see what happened. And things improved eventually.
Speaker 2 (04:43):
Qualick had originally intended to work for DuPont for a
few years and then head to medical school.
Speaker 3 (04:48):
The only problem was that I became so enamored of
the work that I totally lost interest in medical school.
I did because the work course would I wanted to do.
What I love about my work is that I have
the opportunity to be creative every day. There's something about
(05:09):
me that wants the excitement of invention and creativity.
Speaker 2 (05:17):
Ironically, by staying at DuPont, Qualic probably saved more lives
than she would have as a doctor, and by nineteen
fifty she was offered a research position at DuPont's cutting
edge pioneering Research Laboratory in Wilmington, Delaware. And it was
during her time in Wilmington that Qualic made her greatest
contribution to science and humanity. But believe it or not,
(05:40):
the original formulation for kevlar could have just as easily
been thrown in the trash.
Speaker 3 (05:45):
It was nineteen sixty five and I was assigned to
look for this super strong, super stiff, but lightweight fiber.
Speaker 2 (05:57):
Their goal was to discover a lightweight fiber that would
be strong enough to replace his steel in radial tires.
Speaker 3 (06:03):
In the course of that work, I made a discovery.
The results came back. It was very strong and very stiff,
unlike anything we had made before. I hesitated about telling
anyone because it was unusual and I didn't want to
be foolish.
Speaker 2 (06:22):
During one experiment, Qualix sought to convert a solid polymer
into a liquid form, but she had a very strange result.
She expected to get a clear mixture with the consistency
of molasses typical for this type of polymer work. Instead,
she ended up with a murky, thin liquid. The solution
looked like junk. Members of Quali's team even suggested she
(06:45):
throw it away and start over.
Speaker 3 (06:48):
The fellow who does the spinning looked at it and said,
the solution is too thin, it's too watery. Furthermore, it
has particles in it, and it's going to plug up
my equipment.
Speaker 2 (07:02):
She didn't listen.
Speaker 3 (07:04):
I sent it down a few more times, so I
think eventually, after a few days he had a gilly
conscience or something, and he came said he would spid
that thing.
Speaker 2 (07:20):
What happened next was what Qualit called a case of serendipity.
The molecules aligned in a crystal like structure, and as
Qualic and her team continued experimenting with the spinning process,
they realized they were creating a very lightweight and very
stiff fiber. In fact, by weight, it was stronger than steel.
Speaker 3 (07:40):
I knew that I had made a discovery. I didn't
shout eureka, but I was very excited, as was the
whole laboratory excited, and management was excited because we were
looking for something new, something different, and this was it.
(08:01):
That was the beginning of kevlar.
Speaker 2 (08:04):
DuPont knew it had something big on its hands. The
company patented the material that became known as kevlar in
nineteen sixty six, and the whole pioneering lab was assigned
to develop commercial uses for it. DuPont and its scientists
still had many questions about kevlar, and it would still
be a few years before someone asked the most important
(08:25):
question of all, could kevlar actually stop a bullet? It
would take about a decade, but Qualic, DuPont and the
rest of the world would get that answer. On December
twenty third, nineteen seventy five, Seattle police officer Raymond Johnson
confronted an armed man holding up a convenience store. Johnson
(08:47):
was shot four times, including once over the heart and
once over the right lung. That could have been a
death sentence for Johnson, but it wasn't. Johnson walked away
from the incident and lived another forty years. On that
day in nineteen seventy five, Johnson is believed I've been
the first law enforcement officer in the United States to
(09:09):
have his life saved by a Kevlar bulletproof vest. Kevlar
was indeed effective in stopping bullets for qualic it was humbling.
Speaker 3 (09:21):
When I look back on my career, I'm inspired most
by the fact that I was fortunate enough to do
something that would be a benefit to mankind. It's been
an extremely satisfying discovery. I don't think there's anything like
saving someone's life to bring your satisfaction and happiness.
Speaker 2 (09:47):
Stephanie worked another twenty years at DuPont after Kevlar was
patented and contributed to the development of products like Lycra
and Spandex, and she worked hard to encourage the next
generation of scientists, especially young women. When Qualic was inducted
into the National Inventors Hall of Fame in nineteen ninety four,
she was only the fourth woman at that time to
(10:09):
receive the honor. Qualic died in twenty fourteen at the
age of ninety. Ellen Coleman, CEO of DuPont at the time,
remembered Qualic as a creative and determined chemist and a
true pioneer for women in science. Even today, Qualick's work
continues to inspire scientists, and it continues to save lives.
(10:34):
You can take Corporal Stephen Reinhardt's word for that.
Speaker 1 (10:38):
The story of Stephanie Quollick on Our American Stories
And we returned to our American stories. Up next, a
story of how a miracle fiber had saved the lives
of countless police officers and service members could have been
thrown in the trash if not for the audacious woman
who made it. Here to tell the story of Stephanie Kolek.
The woman who invented kevlar is Kayla Ryder. Let's get
(00:38):
into the story.
Speaker 2 (00:45):
It was February eleventh, twenty thirteen, typical day at Newcastle
County Courthouse in Delaware. It was cold and reigning, and
Corporal Stephen Reinhardt of the Capitol Police was on duty
manning the courthouse metal detector. Then chaos erupted. A gunman
opened fire, killing two women in cold blood. Reinhart immediately
(01:09):
gave chase and was shot in the chest at close
range by a handgun, but he didn't know it. On
that day, Reinhart became the latest of many police officers
who have had their life saved by a miracle fiber
known as kevlar. Kevlar, vess and body armor have saved
(01:29):
more than three thousand lives. But the most remarkable future
of kevlar maybe it's history. Stephanie Qualick was born in
nineteen twenty three a working class family just outside of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Her parents had emigrated from Poland, and her father, John,
(01:50):
worked in one of the area's many metal foundries. But
it was actually John Qualick's hobby that made a lifelong
impression on Stephanie.
Speaker 3 (02:01):
I had a father who was very much interested in
plants and trees. He and I spend a lot of
time just roaming through the woods looking for animals and
snakes and leaves and wild plants. And I put all
these things in a scrap. We grew vegetables and flowers
(02:23):
and so forth, so it's almost like living on a farm.
Speaker 2 (02:28):
She was hugged.
Speaker 3 (02:30):
I loved learning and loved learning new things. I found
it very exciting. So this probably made me what I
am today and what I was for many years.
Speaker 2 (02:47):
Stephanie's father died when she was just ten years old,
but her passion for science remained strong. She was an
excellent student and earned a place in Carnegie Mellon University's
Women's College and graduated in nineteen forty six with a
degree in chemistry and a warning from her professors. In
(03:08):
the nineteen forties, most women did not earn college degrees,
and even fewer pursued studies in the sciences dominated by men.
Qualack's professors told her that these women were increasingly abandoning
their aspirations for careers in the sciences and instead pursuing
more traditional work. But Qualick was not deterred. She applied
(03:30):
for work at several industrial companies, including chemical giant DuPont,
and that's where she caught the attention of pioneering DuPont scientists.
Doctor William Hale charge Charge was so impressed with Qualick
that he hired her on the spot to work as
a researcher at DuPont's Buffalo, New York facility.
Speaker 3 (03:49):
When I entered the workforce in nineteen forty six, not
many women were being hired, but the fear that were
They were hired because there were so few men available.
They were at war or just coming back war. So
women were being made offers. But that didn't mean, you know,
(04:11):
that the problem was completely solved, because women had a
very difficult time after they got jobs, and many women
did not stay very long.
Speaker 2 (04:23):
While there may not have been many female researchers at
DuPont at this time, Qualick was not intimidated.
Speaker 3 (04:30):
I was stubborn, and I decided that I was gonna
stick it out and see what happened. And things improved eventually.
Speaker 2 (04:43):
Qualick had originally intended to work for DuPont for a
few years and then head to medical school.
Speaker 3 (04:48):
The only problem was that I became so enamored of
the work that I totally lost interest in medical school.
I did because the work course would I wanted to do.
What I love about my work is that I have
the opportunity to be creative every day. There's something about
(05:09):
me that wants the excitement of invention and creativity.
Speaker 2 (05:17):
Ironically, by staying at DuPont, Qualic probably saved more lives
than she would have as a doctor, and by nineteen
fifty she was offered a research position at DuPont's cutting
edge pioneering Research Laboratory in Wilmington, Delaware. And it was
during her time in Wilmington that Qualic made her greatest
contribution to science and humanity. But believe it or not,
(05:40):
the original formulation for kevlar could have just as easily
been thrown in the trash.
Speaker 3 (05:45):
It was nineteen sixty five and I was assigned to
look for this super strong, super stiff, but lightweight fiber.
Speaker 2 (05:57):
Their goal was to discover a lightweight fiber that would
be strong enough to replace his steel in radial tires.
Speaker 3 (06:03):
In the course of that work, I made a discovery.
The results came back. It was very strong and very stiff,
unlike anything we had made before. I hesitated about telling
anyone because it was unusual and I didn't want to
be foolish.
Speaker 2 (06:22):
During one experiment, Qualix sought to convert a solid polymer
into a liquid form, but she had a very strange result.
She expected to get a clear mixture with the consistency
of molasses typical for this type of polymer work. Instead,
she ended up with a murky, thin liquid. The solution
looked like junk. Members of Quali's team even suggested she
(06:45):
throw it away and start over.
Speaker 3 (06:48):
The fellow who does the spinning looked at it and said,
the solution is too thin, it's too watery. Furthermore, it
has particles in it, and it's going to plug up
my equipment.
Speaker 2 (07:02):
She didn't listen.
Speaker 3 (07:04):
I sent it down a few more times, so I
think eventually, after a few days he had a gilly
conscience or something, and he came said he would spid
that thing.
Speaker 2 (07:20):
What happened next was what Qualit called a case of serendipity.
The molecules aligned in a crystal like structure, and as
Qualic and her team continued experimenting with the spinning process,
they realized they were creating a very lightweight and very
stiff fiber. In fact, by weight, it was stronger than steel.
Speaker 3 (07:40):
I knew that I had made a discovery. I didn't
shout eureka, but I was very excited, as was the
whole laboratory excited, and management was excited because we were
looking for something new, something different, and this was it.
(08:01):
That was the beginning of kevlar.
Speaker 2 (08:04):
DuPont knew it had something big on its hands. The
company patented the material that became known as kevlar in
nineteen sixty six, and the whole pioneering lab was assigned
to develop commercial uses for it. DuPont and its scientists
still had many questions about kevlar, and it would still
be a few years before someone asked the most important
(08:25):
question of all, could kevlar actually stop a bullet? It
would take about a decade, but Qualic, DuPont and the
rest of the world would get that answer. On December
twenty third, nineteen seventy five, Seattle police officer Raymond Johnson
confronted an armed man holding up a convenience store. Johnson
(08:47):
was shot four times, including once over the heart and
once over the right lung. That could have been a
death sentence for Johnson, but it wasn't. Johnson walked away
from the incident and lived another forty years. On that
day in nineteen seventy five, Johnson is believed I've been
the first law enforcement officer in the United States to
(09:09):
have his life saved by a Kevlar bulletproof vest. Kevlar
was indeed effective in stopping bullets for qualic it was humbling.
Speaker 3 (09:21):
When I look back on my career, I'm inspired most
by the fact that I was fortunate enough to do
something that would be a benefit to mankind. It's been
an extremely satisfying discovery. I don't think there's anything like
saving someone's life to bring your satisfaction and happiness.
Speaker 2 (09:47):
Stephanie worked another twenty years at DuPont after Kevlar was
patented and contributed to the development of products like Lycra
and Spandex, and she worked hard to encourage the next
generation of scientists, especially young women. When Qualic was inducted
into the National Inventors Hall of Fame in nineteen ninety four,
she was only the fourth woman at that time to
(10:09):
receive the honor. Qualic died in twenty fourteen at the
age of ninety. Ellen Coleman, CEO of DuPont at the time,
remembered Qualic as a creative and determined chemist and a
true pioneer for women in science. Even today, Qualick's work
continues to inspire scientists, and it continues to save lives.
(10:34):
You can take Corporal Stephen Reinhardt's word for that.
Speaker 1 (10:38):
The story of Stephanie Quollick on Our American Stories
Host
Lee Habeeb
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