The UT Research Corporation (UTRC) was chartered on December 24, 1934, for the purpose of promoting research and encouraging the use of research results. It was a response to requests principally by Dr. Kenneth Hertel (physics) and Dr. W. R. Woolrich (mechanical engineering) to establish a nonprofit corporation that could serve as an agency to obtain and to administer patents.
The UTRC was organized partially as a reaction to DuPont’s taking over an insecticide developed at the UT Experiment Station and marketing it. When UT complained, DuPont replied that it controlled the discovery by one of its widely inclusive patents.
Most of the activities of UTRC during its early years centered on various agricultural inventions, among the more successful of which were Hertel’s fiber testing devices. Hertel played a major role in UTRC’s history from the time of its founding until his death in 1976. In honor of his contributions, UTRC established, in 1979, Hertel Events, a yearly sponsorship of activities linking the academic community with the public. In 2003 the charter and role of the Research Corporation were broadened to form the UT Research Foundation.