Hyatt was born in
Starkey, New York, and began working as a printer when he was 16. Later, he invented a simpler celluloid production process, receiving several hundred
patents. Among the most well-known of his inventions was that of a substitute for
ivory to produce
billiard balls. An award of $10,000 had been instituted by
Michael Phelan in 1863 due to the cost of ivory and concerns on its shortage. Aided by his brother Isaiah, In 1870, Hyatt formed the Albany Dental Plate Company to produce, among other things, billiard balls, false teeth, and piano keys. in 1974. John Wesley Hyatt founded the
Hyatt Roller Bearing Company in 1892 in
Harrison, New Jersey. The company's customers included
General Motors and the
Ford Motor Company. In 1895 he hired
Alfred P. Sloan, son of a major investor in the company, as a draftsman. In 1905 he made Sloan president. The company was sold to
General Motors in 1916, and Sloan went on to become president of GM. ==References==