Robert Klark
Graham
(1906-1997) was a
US
optometrist who developed the CR39 material to produce plastic spectacle lenses
with greater scratch resistance, anti-reflection coatings and also colourless UV
absorbers for spectacles.He worked
with Bausch & Lomb and Univis and recognised the need for unbreakable
spectacle lenses.Graham therefore
opened the Armorlite Laboratory in
Pasadena
in 1947 as well as a contact lens only practice.He worked with Feinbloom on contact lenses and LVAs and was ophthalmic
consultant to Tuohy on the corneal lens, presenting this development to the
American
Academy
of Optometry.He was Professor at
Berkeley
1948-1960, developing their first contact lens clinic.He followed Neill as the second Chairman of the AAO contact lens section.
Graham
was born in
Harbor Springs, Michigan, the son of a dentist.He initially
studied singing before turning to optometry, gaining his degree in 18 months
from
Ohio
State
University.In the 1960s he worked with Bausch
& Lomb on soft lenses and with other researchers on hybrid lenses.He started the Repository for Germinal Choice Sperm Bank in 1963 which
featured Nobel Prize winning donors.
