1. William Deering was an American businessman and philanthropist.
11 Facts About William Deering
1. 2.
William Deering inherited a woolen mill in Maine, but made his fortune in later life with the Deering Harvester Company.
3.
William Deering married Abby Reed Barbour who gave birth to Charles in 1852.
4.
Abby died when Charles was only four and William Deering went on to marry Clara Barbour Cummings Hamilton in 1857.
5.
In 1880, William Deering moved the company to Chicago and established the William Deering Harvester Works.
6.
William Deering was responsible for building a modern twine factory to supply farmers with sufficient length and quality of twine to work with the binders, a move followed by most competitors.
7.
William Deering conducted several experiments and determined that the ideal binder twine would be made of manila, spun to 700 feet per pound.
8.
William Deering financially supported several institutions of Chicago, the Northwestern University, the Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary, and the Wesley Hospital among them.
9.
William Deering gave Northwestern over $1 million over the years, and served on the university's board for 38 years, including 10 years as president of the board; he declined an offer to rename the school Deering University.
10.
William Deering died on December 9,1913, in Coconut Grove with his two sons in attendance.
11.
William Deering was the father of Charles Deering and James Deering.