About the Author

Henry Dohan, a gifted writer, is a textile and electrical engineer. In 1961 he became internationally famous for his research into mass and macromolecular structures. The following is a speech given about him in the "Australian Senate." COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA. SPEECH BY Senator the Hon. G. BROWN ON Appropriation BILL (No. 2) 1962-63. FIRST READING. (From the "Parliamentary Debatcs,"14th May, 1963.) Because of my frequent references in this chamber previously to lovely ladies ladderless nylon stockings honorable senators may think I am developing a phobia. I am not, but I am out to do a job tonight, and I want to do it well, if I can. First, I will speak of a man named Henry Dohan, an Australian citizen on the right side of 40, who is the inventor of the ladderless nylon stocking. The story I tell tonight is one of eager hopes and bitter frustrations. It is a story of possible fortune and of fears of financial ruin. It is a story of a young man, an inventive genius, with remarkable powers of concentration and unusual tenacity who finally triumphed over collossal difficulties. He is a man who, for many years, worked at nights like Thomas Edison, who on many occasions worked for more than 30 hours at a stretch without sleep or meals. Henry Dohan has been able not only to produce a ladderless stocking-that has been proved up to the hilt-but also to improve the wearing quality of wool. I took it upon myself to see Sir William Gunn and tell him of the work that Henry Dohan was doing. He seemed to be very interested, but I do not know of anything having been done about it. Henry Dohan was somewhat depressed at that time and he said, "Possibly the wool people are like the nylon manufacturers; they do not want woollen goods that wear for any length of time." Dohan is capable of producing many forms of improved rubber goods, too. He has ideas about many matters of which I shall not tell the Senate tonight. They include even cancer. Henry Dohan, although born in Vienna, is an Australian citizen today. He is very anxious that his invention be controlled by the Australian people. He says that if we had the sense to take it over we could build up an export trade which would soon rival our trade in wool. He is not in any way bitter against Australian manufacturers, because he still hopes that they will have some common sense and realize that if they use this invention they will be able to win markets overseas and thus do a great work for Australia.