Waylande Gregory (1905-1971), a native of Baxter Springs, Kansas, was one of the most innovative and prolific Art Deco ceramic sculptors of the early 20th century. His groundbreaking techniques enabled him to create monumental ceramic sculptures that had not previously been possible, including his Fountain of the Atom for the 1939 New York World’s Fair—a tribute to atomic energy that earned the attention of Albert Einstein. Gregory also developed revolutionary glazing and processing methods and was an important figure in the studio glass movement.