John Steven Barry (August 31, 1924 – July 3, 2009) was an American business executive who popularized WD-40, a water-displacing spray and solvent that had been created in the 1950s for use in the space program and spread its use in the consumer market.
[1] The product had originally been created by Rocket Chemical Company in 1953 as a degreasing and rust-preventing spray, with the name WD-40 coming from "water displacement, formulation successful in 40th attempt".
Barry was fond of using free product samples as a promotional tool, including 10,000 that were sent monthly to soldiers fighting in the Vietnam War to help maintain their weapons in the difficult climate.
[2] Though Barry acknowledged that other companies had products that were similar to his, he ensured that the firm jealously protected its trademark and that it never fully revealed the components used in its manufacture to the public.
[1] Barry died at age 84 on July 3, 2009, due to pulmonary fibrosis in a skilled nursing center in La Jolla in San Diego, California.