Walter Golaski
Template:Short description Template:Use American English Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox person
Walter Michael Golaski (12 August 1913 – 22 September 1996) was an American Mechanical-Bio-Medical Engineer best known for developing Dense Knit Dacron Vascular Prostheses, which were the first practical artificial blood vessel replacements.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Golaski died near Philadelphia in 1996 at the age of 83.
Early life and education
Golaski was born in Torrington, Connecticut in 1913 to Paul (né Golaszewski) and Helena<ref>National Archives at St. Louis; St. Louis, Missouri; Wwii Draft Registration Cards For Pennsylvania, 10/16/1940-03/31/1947; Record Group: Records of the Selective Service System, 147; Box: 911</ref> (née Kulesza). His parents emigrated to the United States in 1906 from "Golasie", a village in Poland. He had 5 siblings: Stephina, Tessie, Edmond, Edward, and Julius.<ref>National Archives at Boston; Waltham, Massachusetts; ARC Title: Index to Naturalization Records, 8/1803-11/1972; NAI Number: 3249877; Record Group Title: Records of District Courts of the United States, 1685-2009; Record Group Number: Rg 21</ref> At 16, during the Great Depression, he took a job as a needle mechanic at the Torrington Company, a knitting needle manufacturer, where he soon developed new ideas for the automatic needle manufacturing industry.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref> In 1939, Torrington transferred him to Philadelphia and promoted him to manager, and he enrolled in Drexel University's Mechanical Engineering evening school. He graduated in 1946; Drexel later honored him with many alumni awards.
Inventions
In 1940, Golaski developed a process for rebuilding hosiery machines to enable the knitting industry to make the switch from silk to nylon. In 1945 he opened the Bearing Products Company and with the profits later in 1956 bought and reorganized the Overbrook Knitting Corporation in order to convert existing machinery to produce full fashioned knitted sweaters.<ref name=":2">Template:Cite web</ref> He was granted 10 American, 1 British and 2 Canadian patents.
Golaski is best known for the product he developed next, the densely knit Dacron arteries,<ref name=":0">Template:Cite web</ref> which he sold through his company Golaski Laboratories.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Until this invention, the available replacement blood vessels were stiff, woven, and not sufficiently porous. The Golaski graft offered patients longer life expectancy than any other on the market.<ref name=":2" />
Golaski's business flourished after his invention. He served as Chairman of the Kosciuszko Foundation,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> in "which [he] encouraged the exchange of students and scholars between the United States and Poland." [1] Template:Webarchive He helped show Poland in a positive light to America in that "Americans of all ethnic backgrounds were encouraged to participate in the Foundation's programs and experience Polish culture directly." [2] Template:Webarchive
Personal life
In 1942, Golaski married Helene Dolores Ambrose,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> (1915-1968). They had a daughter, Michelle Starr Helen.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In her memory, he donated a painting, Young Lady at the Fireplace (Wladyslaw Czachorski, 1882) to the Kosciusko Foundation.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> He later married Alexandra Budna Golaski<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> with whom he had three children, Alexandra, Johnpaul, and Edmund. His son, Johnpaul is a freelance sound mixer for the film industry.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Legacy
On May 17, 2014,<ref name=":1">Template:Cite web</ref> a historical marker was erected on Lancaster Walk in honor of Golaski, commemorating his achievement in medical engineering,<ref name=":0" />