This is a transcription of a document prepared by Frank Deli.  Mr. Deli was a founder of the Autopoint Company and an officer of that company for many years.  Autopoint was a manufacturer of mechanical pencils and desk top accessories located in Chicago.  A copy of this "Biography"  was given to me by Frank Deli's grandson, Steven F. Deli. 

See also Mr. Deli's Resume which tells about his employment history in detail.

November 5, 1937

I was born in Sibenbergen which is a German colony in Austria, Hungary, on October 10, 1886. Obtained my schooling from my father, and four years of high school. Completed three years of apprenticeship and arrived in this country September, 1903. Attended the Central "Y" school and Lewis Institute in this country.

For the first year and a half was employed as a machinist by Standard Engineering Company and Elwood City Steam Packing Company of Elwood City, Pennsylvania. My next employment was in the Tool Department of the Sharon Gun Works of Sharon, Pennsylvania. Thereafter I followed tool work, specializing on creating labor saving devices and was employed by companies such as Mesta Machine Company, Alleghany Locomotive Works, Westinghouse Machine Company, Westinghouse Electric Company, Signal and Switch Company and Western Electric Company.

My employment in an executive capacity has been with McCord & Company, Atlantic Tool & Machine Company, Miehle Printing Press Comapany, Expansion Boring Bar Company, Krasberg Manufacturing Company, Standard Steel Car Company, Christenson Machine Company, Saal Manufacturing Company and Autopoint Company.

Autopoint Company is a successor of the original Realite Pencil Company of which I was one of the organizers in 1921, also the inventor of the orginal Realite and present Autopoint Pencil. The mechanism being of a design to be practical with a composition molded pencil barrel. Our first attempt of molding our pencil barrel in Dr. Redman's laboratory was not successful due to the flow of the material, as I understood that no attempt had been made to mold an article as small and accurate as our pencil barrel, of a molding composition such as Redmanol or Bakelite, which, of course, was quite discouraging in view of our expenditures for the molds.

However, with the cooperation and guidance of Dr. L. V. Redman, Mr. F. Brock and Mr. A. J. Weith, we succeded with our requirements during the first year in business and therefore it was just a matter of the cooperation of the Redmanol Company in furnishing us the suitable molding material.

The above, of course, was not our only problem, as we found that considerable more capital was required than we had originally contemplated, which necessitated numerous reorganizations until we successfully interested the Bakelite Corporation. My two associates decided to dispose of their interest and follow other enterprises. In view of my confidence in our product and the guidance of the parent company, I decided to remain and finish our original undertaking.

As to my family data, in 1911 I married Lillian Eva Deckert and we now have three children - Frank twenty three years of age, Evelyn nineteen and Jack twelve.

As to hobbies, I have many, but must confess that golf predominates. 

Notes

• Frank Deli's associates in the original Realite Pencil Company were Michael Kaufmann and John Lynn. 
• Lawrence V. Redman and his associates Archie J. Weith and Frank P. Brock were plastics pioneers. Redman founded the Redmanol Chemical Products Company in competition with the Bakelite company. The plastic they produced was called  Redmonol. 

See "Fighting the Pirates," pages 50-55, in American Plastic: A Cultural History by Jeffrey L. Meikle.
• Shortly after Mr. Deli and his associates worked with Dr. Redman, the Redmanol company was merged with Bakelite.
• In the 1930s, Bakelite owned about 80% of Autopoint. Autopoint remained under Bakelite's wing for nearly 30 years. 
• Mr. Deli remined with Autopoint until his death in 1946. 

Transcribed by Robert L. Bolin, rbolin2@unl.edu. 
Version 1.2c, November 27, 2004