Yost Added to Flexible PU Foam Hall of Fame

 Charles A. Yost Inducted Posthumously into
Flexible Polyurethane Foam Hall of Fame

Early developer of viscoelastic foam becomes 27^th honoree

(Loudon, TN – June 2, 2015) – The Polyurethane Foam Association announced the posthumous induction of Charles A. Yost into the Flexible Polyurethane Foam Hall of Fame during its spring General Business Meeting in St. Petersburg, Fla.

Yost, was recognized for his work in developing viscoelastic foam, commonly known as memory foam. During the mid-1960’s, Yost was instrumental in formulating and developing a unique open-cell, polymeric memory foam for a NASA application in airplane seats to improve the odds of crash survival. Yost called his early development “temper foam,” now, technically known as viscoelastic

polyurethane foam. Yost’s foam formulation provided extremely pliable pressure contouring capabilities with high energy absorption potential.

In 1967, Yost, a former NASA contractor, founded Dynamic Systems, Inc. to commercialize and market temper foam technology and to expand its application into military, automotive, and medical fields. Early products became integral components for ejection seats, found use in transportation and body protection, and were molded as wheelchair seats and for use in prosthetics. As Yost’s business expanded, additional formulations were added resulting in SunMate®, Pudgee™ and Liquid SunMate® FIPS (Foam-in-Place Seating) products primarily for healthcare applications.  Over time, Yost’s innovative development provided life-changing benefits for many end-users.

Yost was inducted into NASA’s Space Technology Hall of Fame in 1998, complementing his lifelong passion for astronomy, rocketry, and space travel. In addition to foam-related interests, Yost was the founder and publisher of Electric Spacecraft, a worldwide scientific journal devoted to encouraging development of electric propulsion technologies. 

Widely regarded by colleagues as a generous and caring humanitarian, Charles Yost passed away in 2005. Robin Yost, CEO and president of Dynamic Systems, Inc., attended the induction ceremony and accepted his father’s Hall of Fame award on behalf of his family.

The Flexible Polyurethane Foam Hall of Fame, housed virtually at www.pfa.org, recognizes individuals and corporations that have significantly contributed to the growth and betterment of the flexible polyurethane foam industry in North America.

The Polyurethane Foam Association was founded in 1980 to educate customers and other groups about flexible polyurethane foam (FPF) products. This includes providing facts on environmental, health and safety issues, and technical information on the performance of FPF in consumer and industrial products. The PFA membership includes FPF manufacturers and their suppliers of raw materials, processing and fabrication equipment, and various industry services. For more information, visit www.pfa.org.