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Eleuthere Irenee Du Pont biography

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Quick Facts

  • NAME: Éleuthère Irénée du Pont de Nemours
  • OCCUPATION: Entrepreneur, Chemist
  • BIRTH DATE: June 24, 1771
  • DEATH DATE: October 31, 1834
  • PLACE OF BIRTH: Paris, France
  • PLACE OF DEATH: Greenville, Delaware
  • AKA: E. I. Dupont
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In 1802, chemist Éleuthère Irénée du Pont de Nemours founded an explosives business in Delaware which is now known simply as Du Pont.

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Synopsis

E. I. du Pont moved to the U.S. after the French Revolution, hoping to build a business in explosives. In 1802 he started a powder mill on the Brandywine River in Delaware. His profits exploded when the U.S. government placed orders with him for the troops fighting in the War of 1812. E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company lives on as Du Pont, with headquarters in Delaware and around the world.

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Manufacturer, businessman. Born on June 24, 1771, in Paris, France. E. I. du Pont was the founder of what is now known as DuPont, one of the world??s largest chemical and industrial companies. His father, Pierre Samuel du Pont, was a watchmaker by trade as well as an economist, publisher, and government official. Interested in explosives, he studied with chemist Antoine Lavoisier for a time.

After the French Revolution, du Pont fled to the United States and sought to build on his explosives expertise. He started a powder mill on the Brandywine River in Delaware in 1802, which proved to be first of many for this skilled manufacturer. Wanting to make the best powder possible, du Pont was vigilant about the quality of the materials he used. The business really took off with supply orders from the U.S. government for the troops fighting in the War of 1812.

For 32 years, du Pont served as president of E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company. His later life was marked by sadness after the death of his wife Sophie in 1828. He died of heart failure on October 31, 1834. The business he built was passed down to his descendents who continued to grow it into one of the U.S. best-known companies.


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