We want you to help us celebrate American ingenuity with our new series, "The Search for America's Greatest Innovation." Cast your ballot for one of nine fantastic innovations, or can nominate one yourself.
In the 1960s, chemist Stephanie Kwolek set out to develop a material for tires, but she inadvertently created something five times stronger than steel. The miracle fiber known as Kevlar is now used in bullet-proof vests and is credited with saving thousands of lives.
Click on the audio player above to hear Ray Kelly, the former commissioner of the New York City Police Department, make his case for why Kevlar is America's greatest innovation.
Is Kevlar America's greatest innovation? Cast your ballot here.
