A Chinese immigrant and chemist who played a role in the 1960s developing noise reduction technology at the DuPont Experimental Station was honored Thursday at a ceremony at the DuPont site.
A conference center was named for Theodore “Ted” P. Yin, who worked at the company in the 1960s with his wife, Fay Yoh Hin. DuPont officials recognized their achievements, along with those of all employees of Asian descent who have contributed to DuPont over the years.
Ted Yin was a physical chemist at DuPont in the Elastomers Department from 1960 to 1969 and is widely remembered for his role in developing Noise, Vibration and Harshness (NVH) Reduction. This technology is still used today all around the world and can be found in things like dishwashers in homes, railroad car wheels or engines in cars.
Ted died in 1970 at the age of 39 in 1970, leaving behind his two children, Monona and Duncan, along with his wife.
Fay was a DuPont biochemist who conducted research on the rhinoviruses from 1966 until her retirement in 1991. She outlived her husband by 50 years and died in 2020.
Few knew their moving story, which began in war-torn China, before it was featured in a series last year on Delaware Online/The News Journal.
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Monona Yin published a book about her family’s experience in 2017, titled “Riding with the Wind: Three Generations of My Family in China,” and worked with Delaware Online/The News Journal to create a four-part series on the life of her parents, their connection to DuPont and their life as a Chinese Americans.
Mobility & Materials President Randy Stone was inspired by their story and contributions to DuPont and wanted to do something special to honor the Yin family.
The Theodore P. Yin Conference Center was formally unveiled late Thursday morning, with Monona, Duncan and Stone formally cutting the ribbon to the building.
The door to the conference room features a large black and white image of Ted covering much of the glass. Upon entering, the red and gray walls hold a mounted plaque with a photo of the Yin family, multiple photos of Ted and a quote from him about DuPont.
Various photos of Ted’s work, as well as notes and diagrams from his research on NVH Reduction, decorate a clear plaque on a wall adjacent to the door.
As DuPont employees and visitors passed through the room, a monitor on the wall displayed photos and information about Theodore’s legacy and his family.
While being honored Thursday with plaques for their parents’ achievements, Monona and Duncan expressed their gratitude for the recognition of their parents and the dedication of a conference center in their father’s honor.
While standing in the conference center, Duncan began to tear up at the sight of his father’s work lining the walls of the room.
The entire event, and what it means to have the legacy of her parents recognized in this way, was very “emotional,” said Monona.
