 |
Crawford GreenewaltAmerican entrepreneur, president and chairman of the board of directors of the largest chemical concern in the United States, DuPont de Nemours and Company.
Date of Birth: 16.08.1902
Country:  USA |
Content:
- Crawford H. Greenewalt: A Chemical Industry Pioneer and Visionary
- Early Life and Education
- Career at DuPont
- Scientific and Academic Contributions
- Business and Economic Writings
- Personal Life
- Legacy
Crawford H. Greenewalt: A Chemical Industry Pioneer and Visionary
Crawford H. Greenewalt was an American entrepreneur, chemical engineer, and high-level executive who played a pivotal role in shaping the chemical industry in the United States.
Early Life and Education
Greenewalt was born on August 16, 1902, in Cummington, Massachusetts. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in 1922, where he was a member of the Theta Chi Fraternity.
Career at DuPont
Greenewalt began his career as a chemist at the DuPont Company. He quickly rose through the ranks, becoming President of DuPont in 1948 and Chairman of the Board from 1962 to 1967. During his tenure, he was instrumental in developing nylon and the nuclear energy program.
Scientific and Academic Contributions
Beyond his business achievements, Greenewalt had a keen interest in ornithology and high-speed photography. He co-authored a collection of 70 high-speed photographs of hummingbirds with his friend Harold Edgerton in 1960 and published another book on the topic in 1968. He also served as President of the American Philosophical Society.
Business and Economic Writings
Greenewalt was an avid writer, authoring numerous articles on business management and economics for publications like Reader's Digest, Fortune, and Saturday Review, as well as major newspapers.
Personal Life
Greenewalt married Margaretta Lammot du Pont, and they had two sons, Crawford "Greenie" Greenewalt Jr. and David Greenewalt, and a daughter, Nancy L. Frederick. Crawford Jr. was a renowned professor of classical archaeology at the University of California, Berkeley. David passed away in 2003. Greenewalt's wife died in 1991.
Legacy
Crawford H. Greenewalt passed away at the age of 91 on September 28, 1993, in Wilmington, Delaware, where DuPont's headquarters are located. He left behind a legacy as a visionary leader in the chemical industry and a pioneer in the advancement of scientific and technological innovations. The Atomic Heritage Foundation released a documentary film about Greenewalt's life and work titled "The Uncommon Man: Crawford H. Greenewalt" in 2002.
