Hand-drawn concepts, product design and sample review bring an idea into practical form.
Dr. James B. McCormick
Dr. McCormick was a pathologist and inventor. CHEMEX’s 2022 memorial article records more than 25 years of product-development collaboration. He supplied his own concept drawings, and CHEMEX developed the product designs through sample review and discussion.
The original sketch sets out a product concept and design direction.Samples support the discussion and review of the design.
How an idea enters product development
Concept sketch
A drawing expresses the intended application and product concept.
Product design
CHEMEX reviews materials, dimensions and manufacturing methods to develop the design.
Sample review
Sample inspection and feedback help confirm specifications and further development requirements.
HISTORICAL MONOGRAPH
205 Years of Microslide Storage: The Evolution of Slide Boxes (1808–2013)
Dr. James B. McCormick’s monograph '205 Years of Microslide Storage' (published by Science Heritage Ltd) traces the two-century evolution of histology specimen preservation—from 18th-century pill boxes to his historic 1948 invention of the world's first plastic microscope slide box.
1785–1820
Early Mounts & Ivory Sliders
Before glass specimen slides existed, specimens were stored in pill boxes and folded paper envelopes. The earliest prepared mounts used bone or ivory sliders in leather slip cases, Ypelaar ivory cups (1798), and Pritchard layered card carriers (1820).
1880–1920
Standardization of the 3×1" Slide
J.B. Dancer (1880) established cloth-covered wood boxes for standard 3×1" glass slides. Victorian plush-lined mahogany cases protected rare collections, while 20-slide laboratory specimen trays with retaining tapes became universal standard equipment by 1900.
1940s
WWII Munitions & The Wooden Box Void
The 25-capacity soft clear wooden box had been the industry workhorse until World War II, when manufacturing facilities abruptly converted from microscope slide packaging to military munitions, causing a decade-long shortage.
1948
Breakthrough: First Plastic Slide Box
Needing reliable slide transport for his newly founded HistoSlide Company, Dr. McCormick invented the world's first molded Bakelite plastic slide box with cork lining. Chicago's Central Scientific (CENCO) placed an initial order for 100,000 units, establishing the modern global laboratory standard.
1955
The Lab-Tek Cytomailer
With the rise of cervical cancer screening (PAP test) developed by Dr. George Papanicolaou, Dr. McCormick designed and Lab-Tek produced the first contemporary molded plastic slip case (Cytomailer) for safe slide mail transport.
1948–2013
Best-in-Class Modern Injection Line
Serving as Chief Scientific Officer of McCormick Scientific, Dr. McCormick designed a new family of precision-molded slide boxes (25, 50 and 100 capacity) featuring integrated hinges and stainless-steel slide locks—continuing 65 years of design excellence.
205 Years of MICROSLIDE Storage: A History of Slide/Specimen Storage (1808–2013)
Monograph by Dr. James B. McCormick, M.D., published by Science Heritage Ltd. Full historical photographic catalog.
Dr. James B. McCormick, M.D. — Biography & Scientific Career
Pathologist, hospital CEO, entrepreneur, and prolific inventor whose 45+ patents transformed surgical pathology standards across 95% of the world.
Education & Service
Medical Training & Foundation
Eagle Scout at age 16; served as a U.S. Navy pharmacist mate in WWII; completed pre-med at University of Notre Dame where he founded the HistoSlide Company; earned his M.D. from the University of Illinois (1949); anatomical & clinical pathology residency at Augustana Hospital Chicago.
Hospital Leadership
President & CEO, Swedish Covenant Hospital
Joined SCH in 1957 as Director of Laboratories; served as President & CEO from 1983 to 1990, directing hospital modernization and doubling campus facilities. Founded the Paul Carlson Medical Program aiding mission hospitals in Zaire, as well as the Montessori Child Care Center.
Revolutionary Inventions
Cryostat & Tissue-Tek Innovations
Granted over 45 U.S. patents. His invention of the microtome cryostat revolutionized surgical pathology worldwide by making intra-operative frozen section diagnosis routine. He also created the Tissue-Tek system for embedding and processing, automated hematology stainers, and cytopathology tools.
Entrepreneurship & Leica
Industry Leadership & Leica CSO
Founded three global laboratory supply companies including McCormick Scientific (sold in 1988 to the Biosystems division of Leica / Danaher). Served as Chief Scientific Officer of Leica Biosystems, continuing lifelong research in histotechnology instruments.
Key Patents & Publications Summary
Dr. McCormick's patent portfolio spans microtome cryostats (U.S. Pat. 3,204,424 / 3,218,896), biological specimen processing & embedding apparatus (U.S. Pat. 3,674,396 / 4,557,903 / 5,665,398), disposable embedding molds (U.S. Pat. 5,269,671), and slide transport systems. His bibliography comprises 163 peer-reviewed research papers, books, and international keynote lectures from 1949 to 2007.
Official curriculum vitae, executive positions, professional credentials, 45+ patent citations, and complete 163-publication bibliography of James B. McCormick, M.D.
In Memoriam: Celebrating Dr. James B. McCormick (1925–2022)
Dr. McCormick worked with CHEMEX on product development for more than 25 years. He was not only an esteemed pioneer who revolutionized histotechnology worldwide, but also a beloved mentor and dear friend who brought CHEMEX into the field of histology consumables. Read CHEMEX's 2022 memorial tribute and full obituary.
