13 Facts About Giuliana Tesoro

Giuliana Tesoro was an Italian-born American chemist who earned more than 125 patents, with her most notable consisting of improvements in fabric comfort, practicality, and flame resistance.

Giuliana Tesoro was an Italian-born American chemist whose pioneering work in textile chemistry led to significant advancement in fabric safety and performance.

Giuliana Tesoro began third grade at age six and graduated from Liceo Classico Marco Polo High School at seventeen in 1938.

Giuliana Tesoro began her career as a research chemist at Onyx Oil and Chemical where she then climbed the ranks to head of the organic synthesis department and eventually to associate director by 1955.

Giuliana Tesoro continued her academic contributions as a research professor of polymer chemistry at Polytechnic University from 1982 until her retirement in 1996.

Giuliana Tesoro often lectured on polymers at conferences worldwide while teaching as well as serving as an editor for the Textile Research Journal.

Giuliana Tesoro died on September 29,2002, in Dobbs Ferry, New York, at the age of 81.

Beyond flame-resistant fabrics, Giuliana Tesoro contributed to several advancements in textile chemistry, including improvements in fabric durability, wrinkle resistance, and the development of synthetic fibers with enhanced properties.

Giuliana Tesoro developed chemical treatments that made these fibers resistant to fire, drastically reducing burn injuries and deaths.

Giuliana Tesoro's work laid the foundation for materials such as Kevlar and Nomex.

Giuliana Tesoro's expertise was recognized through her active participation in several esteemed organizations, including the National Academy of Sciences and the National Research Council, where she contributed to committees focused on toxic materials and fire safety.

Giuliana Tesoro was a founding member of the Fiber Society and held memberships in the American Chemical Society, the American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists, and the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Giuliana Tesoro won the Olney Medal from the American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists in 1963, and then the Society of Women Engineers Achievement Award in 1978.