Celebrating all things paper: The wonder and the legacy

Ladies and gentlemen, since we talked last time, the sixth-annual Light Green Machine Institute Conference was held at the University of Wisconsin, Stevens Point.

It was good to see quite a few familiar faces, plus meet new friends in the pulp and paper industry as we enjoyed a few days of sharing ideas and discussing innovation.

While we had an opportunity to look toward the future, I also appreciated the chance to visit the Wisconsin River Papermaking Museum in Wisconsin Rapids, where Mr. George Mead and his staff gave us a tour of the 100-year-old mansion that houses the museum and the Mead Witter Foundation. We also had an opportunity before the conference to stop by the Paper Discovery Center, which houses the Paper Industry International Hall of Fame, over in Appleton.

While we were there, I was able to spend some time chatting with Dr. Hardev S. "Doug" Dugal, who has been a champion in establishing the Hall of Fame, and as a longtime stalwart in the industry, Dr. Dugal was enshrined in the Hall just last year.

The first class of inductees was inducted 20 years ago in 1995, and today, more than 100 papermaking innovators and legends have been enshrined. The mission of the Hall of Fame is to celebrate all things paper - the wonder and the legacy - and here at Paperitalo Publications, we'd also like to celebrate that legacy by profiling those honored by the organization.

Since I had the pleasure of talking with Dr. Dugal, who co-founded the Paper Industry International Hall of Fame (plus served as a board member and secretary for nearly 20 years, writing its guidelines and largely running the office for its first five years), let's begin this series by taking a look at the career of the longtime Wisconsin resident.

Dr. Dugal was born in Bereilly, India on 1 February 1937. He obtained a degree in chemistry from Agra University, a master's degree in chemical technology from Harcourt Butler Technological Institute in India, a Ph.D. in chemical engineering from what is now the Technical University of Darmstadt, Germany and then a business diploma from LaSalle Extension University of Chicago.

Dr. Dugal spent much of his illustrious career with the Institute of Paper Chemistry in Appleton, where he worked for 21 years and quickly rose to be one of the directors. He developed new environmental courses, opened additional research areas and guided many student research programs. For a few years, he was chairman of the Academic Department of Special Studies and chairman of the Ph.D. Thesis Committee. While at the Institute of Paper Chemistry, he represented the United States as member of its delegation to UNEP (UN's Environmental Program) for five years.

From 1987 to 1989, Dr. Dugal worked at the James River Corporation. His report on the making of bulky fibers from this phase of his career is still an important resource used by their research staff.

In 1989, Dr. Dugal co-founded Integrated Paper Services, Inc. (IPS). He served as president of IPS from 1989 to 2000 and then as CEO from 2000 to 2002. During that time, IPS grew from eight to more than 40 employees serving roughly 700 clients per year. He also developed and taught 8 to 12 continuing education courses per year for the industry with over 1200 receiving training. In December of 2007, Dr. Dugal sold his interests in IPS to focus on other projects.

Some of his most noted work has been in communicating about the paper industry to the general public. He has written more than 100 regular columns, "The Paper Report," about the industry for the Post-Crescent newspaper in Wisconsin's Fox Valley, which has an estimated circulation of about 70,000 including access to the online edition. He has helped his readers understand the well-known saying that "paper is the carrier of civilization." He has been major advocate for innovation in the industry, and has boldly warned of the need to "innovate or perish." Dr. Dugal has served on nine boards and has been an active member of more than seven professional organizations. He has published 40 technical papers, more than a dozen major research reports and a book, "Dard Hunter Watermarks," co-authored with Douglas Stone. He has also received numerous industry, business and community awards.

Dr. Dugal lives in Menasha, Wisconsin with his wife, Mona. They have two children and seven grandchildren.

Steve Roush is Vice President, Publisher and Editor and in charge of the International Desk at Paperitalo Publications. He can be reached by email at steve.roush@taii.com.

The browser you are using is outdated!

Log In to Global Paper Money

Not a Member?