52 Facts About Louis Upton

Louis Cassius Upton was an American entrepreneur best known for co-founding the Whirlpool Corporation with his uncle Emory Upton and investor Lowell Bassford in 1911.

Louis Cassius Upton was born in Fredonia, New York on October 10,1886, and was the first of four children of Carrie Upton and Cassius Marcelus Upton.

Louis Upton's father, Cassius was a lawyer by training who founded a publishing business in the late 1890s.

In 1903, when Louis Upton was 17 and a junior in high school, his father was killed in a streetcar accident in Chicago.

Louis Upton got a job selling insurance to help support the family at the same time that he was completing high school.

Louis Upton graduated in 1908 from Lake Forest Academy in Lake Forest, Illinois.

At Edison, Louis Upton was introduced to the fast-developing field of electricity, and he became obsessed with the idea of making an electric washing machine.

Williams planned to open a factory in South Bend, and asked Louis Upton to handle the sales department.

Williams needed capital, and Louis Upton offered the $500 he had saved.

Louis Upton took the hand washer patent to his uncle, Emory Upton, a mechanic in Benton Harbor, Michigan, and asked him to motorize it to be powered by electricity.

Louis Upton took the electric washer to Federal Electric Company, a company affiliated with Commonwealth Edison, and talked them into ordering 100 washers to be sold on the retail market for $85 each.

Louis Upton set up a shop in Benton Harbor where, with the help of his brother Frederick, he built the electric washers while commuting to his job at Commonwealth Edison in Chicago, approximately 100 miles away.

Louis Upton went on to explain that he had already spoken to Federal's master mechanic about a fix, and, with some time, could solve the problem.

Louis Upton got the 200 washers turned out as he promised, but the costs proved to be excessive.

Louis Upton looked around for a financial backer, and he found one in a LaGrange friend and banker, Lowell C Bassford.

Louis Upton took on the role as president, while Emory was Secretary and Treasurer.

Louis Upton soon moved to a small building in the Edgewater area of St Joseph, Michigan.

Emory Louis Upton was the high salaried man at $30 a week.

Louis Upton was to receive salary not to exceed $15 per week as president.

Blakeslee who was the President of the St Joseph's chamber of commerce became treasurer, Emory Upton was secretary and Louis's brother Frederick Upton joined the board and was given the title of Assistant Manager, he was awarded 235 stock shares in lieu of back salary due him and services rendered.

Things finally turned around for the washing machine business when in April 1916, Louis Upton got a meeting at the Sears, Roebuck and Company, which at that point had sold only hand washers, mistrusting the electric contrivances.

Louis Upton left no word of explanation, but it was known he had worried considerably over his ill health.

Louis Upton had an idea; up to that point, Sears sold its products through its catalogue.

Louis Upton was elected president and Frederick was elected vice president and Secretary-Treasurer.

Louis Upton became Vice President of the new combine and remained as Director and General Manager of the Upton division.

Louis Upton machines are sold in all of the more than 300 Sears-Roebuck retail stores.

Louis Upton is elected President of the Nineteen Hundred Corporation.

Louis Upton was manufacturing about 25 percent of the washers and ironers sold in the country.

Louis Upton was called to Washington in 1942 as a "Dollar-A-Year Man", in the position as Chief of the Consumer's Durable Goods Division of the War Production Board, where he was co-ordinating over 19 industries into the war effort.

Louis Upton worked 24 hours a day, on a six-day week, and when schedules had to be met, worked all seven days per week, 24 hours per day.

Louis Upton did not see full dedication to the war effort as an excuse to delay preparation for the future.

Louis Upton had plans to design and engineer a fully automatic spinner-type washer.

Louis Upton remained active with the firm, serving as Chairman of the Board and directing the policy of the concern.

Louis Upton held the post of Trustee for the federal government's Committee for Economic Development and was a director of the National Association of Manufacturers.

Louis Upton was a vice president of the United States Chamber of Commerce.

Louis Upton was president of the American Home Laundry Manufacturers' association, Director of the National Association of Manufacturers, and president of the Michigan Manufacturers' association.

Louis Upton served as a member of the International Chamber of Commerce, and in 1947, was a delegate from the United States to the organization's international convention in Switzerland.

On Jun 9,1954, Kalamazoo College, where Louis Upton had been a member of the Board of Trustees, dedicated a new science building to the late mogul.

Louis Upton pioneered the introduction of paid employee vacations to the US in 1917.

Louis Upton married Elizabeth Fogg of Chicago on June 13,1914.

Louis Upton was the first president of the Twin Cities Community Chest.

Louis Upton founded and was president of the Economic Club of Southwestern Michigan, which featured speeches by national leaders in business and politics.

Louis Upton donated much of the money which permitted the Michigan Boy Scouts Council to open a Boy Scout Camp in Buchanan, Michigan.

Louis Upton founded or was substantially responsible for the success of the Twin City Symphonic Society, the St Joseph Yacht Club and the St Joseph Chamber of Commerce.

Louis Upton received numerous awards in honor of his service to the community.

On October 9,1952, the day before his 66th birthday, Louis Upton traveled by car to a business lunch near Niles, Michigan with three business friends.

Louis Upton walked and labored with the great, the near great and the lowly.

Louis Upton's was always was the human, considerate touch and approach.

Louis Upton knew the bitterness of disappointed hopes as well as the satisfaction of accomplishment, and every setback so enriched his character that obstacles became stepping stones to success.

Louis Upton neglected no opportunity to assist young people up the ladder of citizenship and achievement.

Mr Louis Upton counted his friends locally and over the nation by the hundreds.

Louis Upton will be missed greatly, but from the foundations he helped build a better community will grow.