James Henry Carpenter
Founder of Carpenter Technology
Died when: 51 years 173 days (617 months)Star Sign: Virgo
James Henry Carpenter (September 14, 1846 – March 6, 1898) was a 19th-century American engineer and industrialist who founded the Carpenter Steel Company (renamed in 1968 as the Carpenter Technology Corporation).
Born in Brooklyn, New York, he joined the Union Navy as a "cabin boy" at age 15 during the American Civil War, during which he was wounded in action.
He was promoted to master's mate in the United States Navy for meritorious conduct and was appointed to the United States Naval Academy at age 16.
He resigned from the US Navy in 1865, aged 19, and studied engineering in New Jersey.On June 7, 1889, he founded the Carpenter Steel Company of Reading, Pennsylvania, becoming its general manager.
Under his management, the company was a successful supplier of armor plating and ordnance to the US Navy.