Launcher of 50 companies
Burton D. Morgan graduated with a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering in 1938. His professional journey began with positions at the BFGoodrich Company and Pennsylvania Rubber Company before he joined Johnson & Johnson. At J&J, Morgan worked on developing a machine to produce Band-Aids. In 1949, while still at J&J, he ventured into entrepreneurship with the creation of a self-adhesive bra. Although that innovation did not succeed, the setback sparked Morgan's entrepreneurial career. In 1952, he founded the Hamburger Sizzler device, which laid the foundation for establishing Fasson, a company specializing in pressure-sensitive adhesives. This venture evolved into Morgan Adhesives, one of the world's leading manufacturers of such adhesives. Throughout his career, Morgan demonstrated exceptional entrepreneurial acumen, launching 50 companies, six of which grew into major corporations. Purdue awarded Morgan an honorary doctorate in 1992 and named the Burton D. Morgan Center for Entrepreneurship after him.