In the 1930s, he was a proponent of eugenics and racial superiority theories, was a founder of the American Liberty League, and supported other right-wing political groups du Pont was also a noted supporter of Adolf Hitler and had followed the eventual führer since the 1920s. In 1957, Fortune estimated his wealth at between $200 million and $400 million, making him one of the two richest members of the Du Pont family at that time, and one of the twenty richest Americans (see Wealthiest Americans (1957)).ĭu Pont was a registered Republican, voted to repeal Prohibition and was an opponent of the New Deal Administration of President Franklin Roosevelt. He built a mansion in Varadero, Cuba, which he named Xanadu. Personal life ĭu Pont married a second cousin of his, Irene Sophie du Pont, and had nine children with her: eight daughters and a son. He retired from the board of directors of DuPont in 1958 and was succeeded by his son Irénée du Pont Jr. He oversaw DuPont at a time when eight workers were fatally poisoned with tetraethyl lead while he issued statements about there being "slight difficulties". At the time of his death he was credited with being responsible for the shift of the company from being solely dependent on explosives' to being a more diverse industrial company. He was the elected president of DuPont from 1919 to 1925, where he oversaw the dismantling of the companies war productions from WWI. By the start of World War I he was the vice president, and he was named the chairman of the executive committee a year later. du Pont first worked in the organization of a construction division in black powder, then worked as assistant treasurer, assistant to the general manager and manager of the developmental department. He worked for Fenn's Manufacturing Contracting Company for a number of years before he joined DuPont in 1903. While at MIT, he was a member of the Phi Beta Epsilon fraternity. He received his Master's degree in Chemical Engineering from MIT a year after graduation. He graduated from the William Penn Charter School in 1892 before attending Phillips Academy for a year, graduating in 1894, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in 1897. When he was eight years old, his father was killed in an explosion at the DuPont works in Repauno, New Jersey. Irénée du Pont I was born on December 21, 1876, in New Castle, Delaware, the son of Mary Belin and Lammot du Pont I, and a descendant of DuPont founder Éleuthère Irénée du Pont. Irénée du Pont I (Decem– December 19, 1963) was an American businessman, president of the DuPont company, head of the Du Pont trust and Nazi sympathizer. Octavia "Tibi" Mary Du Pont Bredin (1913–2006) Mariana "Mary Ann" Du Pont Silliman (1911–1992) Margaretta Lammot Du Pont Greenewalt (1902–1991)Ĭonstance "Connie" Simons Du Pont Darden (1903–2002)Įleanor Francis Du Pont Rust (1906/7–1992) Please visit the Nemours Estate to learn more.Irene Sophie "Sophie" Du Pont May (1900–2001) In 2005, the Estate underwent a $38.6 million renovation and reopened its gates in 2008. Historians today note that his mechanical inclination is evident throughout the features of the home and gardens. He hunted and fished on the property that at one time totaled 3,000 acres, and his family swam and boated in the Reflecting Pool. Designed by the renowned Carrère and Hastings firm of New York, the home is a rare example of 18th century French Neo-Classical architecture in America.Īs the first home built specifically for his use, Nemours was very important to Alfred duPont. Alfred named the estate Nemours after the French town his great-great-grandfather, Pierre Samuel duPont, represented in the court of Louis XVI. The 47,000-square-foot Nemours Estate rests on 200 plus acres in Wilmington, Delaware, the community that is also home to the modern-day DuPont corporation. duPont Trust supports the care and perpetuation of the Nemours Estate (“Nemours”), the home that Mr.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |