Haloid Company

Haloid Company. Originally founded as a manufacturer of photographic paper, this Rochester, New York-based firm underwent a transformative shift after securing the commercial rights to a novel electrophotography process. Its subsequent development and launch of the first fully automated plain-paper office copier, the Xerox 914, revolutionized document reproduction and propelled the company to global prominence. The success of this technology was so profound that the corporation ultimately changed its name to Xerox, becoming synonymous with the process it perfected.

History

The enterprise was established in 1906 by Gilbert E. Mosher to produce and sell photographic paper. For decades, it operated as a modest, regional supplier within the photographic industry, competing with larger firms like Eastman Kodak, which was also headquartered in Rochester, New York. A pivotal turn occurred in 1947 when then-president Joseph C. Wilson decided to license an innovative but unproven technology from inventor Chester Carlson and the nonprofit Battelle Memorial Institute. This gamble on electrophotography, which Carlson had struggled to interest other corporations like IBM and General Electric in, set the company on a new trajectory, requiring significant investment in research and development through the 1950s.

Xerography and the Xerox 914

The core technology, later trademarked as xerography, used electrostatic charges, dry powder toner, and light to form images on plain paper, a stark contrast to messy, wet-chemical processes like those used in mimeograph or Photostat machines. Under the technical direction of John H. Dessauer, the company's engineers, including Robert J. Gundlach, worked for over a decade to create a reliable commercial product. The breakthrough came with the introduction of the Xerox 914 copier in 1959, named for its ability to copy on paper up to 9 by 14 inches. Marketed with a revolutionary "pay-per-copy" business model, the Xerox 914 was an instant success, dramatically increasing office productivity and creating an entirely new market for convenient document duplication, directly impacting businesses and institutions worldwide.

Corporate evolution and name change

The staggering financial success of the Xerox 914 fundamentally altered the corporation's identity and scale. Revenues skyrocketed, transforming it from a niche manufacturer into a Fortune 500 powerhouse with a growing international presence, including operations in Europe and Japan. To better reflect its primary business, the corporate name was formally changed from Haloid Company to Xerox Corporation in 1961. This period also saw the establishment of the famed Xerox PARC (Palo Alto Research Center) in California, which would later pioneer seminal developments in personal computing, including the graphical user interface and the computer mouse.

Key people

The company's transformation was driven by a small group of visionary individuals. Inventor Chester Carlson provided the foundational patents for electrophotography. Joseph C. Wilson, grandson of the founder, exhibited exceptional leadership as president and later chairman, championing the risky long-term investment in Carlson's invention. Executive vice president John H. Dessauer oversaw the critical engineering and manufacturing efforts that turned the laboratory concept into the reliable Xerox 914. Other significant figures included Sol M. Linowitz, who helped negotiate pivotal international agreements, and scientist Robert J. Gundlach, a prolific inventor who contributed many key improvements to xerographic technology.

Legacy and impact

The commercial triumph of xerography established one of the most iconic success stories in American business history, creating a multinational conglomerate and a verb—"to Xerox"—that entered the global lexicon. The technology itself democratized information access, reshaping administrative workflows in every sector from government agencies like the Internal Revenue Service to universities and law firms. Furthermore, the research culture fostered at Xerox PARC had an incalculable indirect impact on the technology industry, seeding ideas that would be central to future products from Apple, Microsoft, and others. The original Haloid Company building in Rochester, New York remains a landmark of innovation.

Category:Defunct companies based in New York (state) Category:Photography companies of the United States Category:Companies established in 1906