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The du Pont family (English: / duːˈpɒnt /) [1] or Du Pont family is a prominent American family descended from Pierre Samuel du Pont de Nemours (1739–1817). It has been one of the richest families in the United States since the mid-19th century, when it founded its fortune in the gunpowder business.
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Feb 8, 2024 · The company expanded far beyond gunpowder, and is credited with inventing rayon, nylon and kevlar. In 2017, DuPont merged with competitor Dow Chemical, then split into three companies -- DuPont ...
du Pont Family, French-descended American family whose fortune was founded on explosive powders and textiles and who diversified later into other areas of manufacturing. Pierre-Samuel du Pont (q.v.), born in Paris, was one of the main writers of the physiocratic school of economics.
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Feb 4, 1996 · But John Eleuthere du Pont and his two sisters and brother are still very rich today -- just how rich is a closely held secret -- even if, in 1987, a time when each was worth roughly $200...
- Building An Industrial Giant
- A New Generation Takes Over
- World War I Profits
- Diversification
- Political Issues
- American Liberty League
- Forging on
- For The Public Good
- For More Information
In 1800 Éleuthère Irénée du Pont de Nemours fled to the United States from revolutionary France along with his father and other family members. Éleuthère, encouraged by President Thomas Jefferson (1743–1826; served 1801–09), founded E. I. Du Pont de Nemours & Company, which manufactured black powder in a factory on the Brandywine River just north o...
Upon Eugene's death in 1902, the elder members of the du Pont family decided to sell the family business. However, three of the younger du Ponts—Pierre and two of his cousins, Alfred and T. Coleman—were able to put an offer together to take control of the company and avoid the sale to nonfamily members. They invited Lammot to join the family busine...
In 1915 the du Ponts along with other leading industrialists and bankers established the National SecurityLeague to lobby (attempt to persuade lawmakers) for U.S. entrance into World War I. The lobbying effort was supposedly based on patriotism and protection of the Allies, but many suspected the desire for profits was stronger. The United States d...
The company needed to invest its large war profits, so Raskob encouraged the du Ponts to purchase stock in the newly formed General Motors Corporation (GM). By 1919 Du Pont held 27 percent of GM stock, and Raskob had left Du Pont to become chairman of GM's finance committee. When GM faced bankruptcy in 1920 during the postwar economic slump, Pierre...
The du Ponts were actively involved in political issues. In early 1928 the three du Pont brothers—Pierre, Lammot, and Irénée—and Raskob became active in the Association Against the Prohibition Amendment (AAPA). The organization was dedicated to repealing Prohibition, the nationwide ban on the manufacture and sale of alcoholic beverages enacted in 1...
The du Ponts, John Jakob Raskob, and many other leading industrialists and financiers in the United States disdained the New Deal social and economic programs introduced by President Franklin Roosevelt. By August 1934 they were becoming bolder despite the popular support of Roosevelt. Together they formed the American Liberty League (ALL) to combat...
Aside from politics and public relations in the 1930s, the company forged on, developing new products such as nylon. Du Pont researchers had developed nylon by 1935, and it was unveiled to the public at the 1939 New YorkWorld's Fair. Nylon would become the hottest-selling product in Du Pont history and was used to make new consumer goods such as ny...
The du Pont family was known for more than its success in industry. The du Ponts developed elaborate gardens and donated millions of dollars to Delaware public schools and the state's highway system. The black American school system in Delaware was financed solely by the du Ponts, and the family gave substantial assistance to the state's college fo...
Books
burk, robert f. the corporate state and the broker state: the du ponts andamerican national politics, 1925–1940. cambridge, ma: harvard university press, 1990. carr, william h. a. the du ponts of delaware. new york, ny: dodd, mead, 1964. chandler, alfred d., jr., and stephen salsbury. pierre s. du pont and themaking of the modern corporation. new york, ny: harper & row, 1971. duke, marc. the du ponts: portrait of a dynasty. new york, ny: saturday review press, 1976. zilg, gerard colby. du pon...
Web Sites
du pont heritage.http://heritage.dupont.com (accessed on september 7, 2002).
His descendants became one of the wealthiest families in world history. Namely, according to the Guinness Book of Records, the heirs of the du Pont family amassed a total of some 150,000,000,000 U.S. dollars during the second half of the 20th century.
May 10, 2021 · Here’s how former Gov. Pierre S. “Pete” du Pont cemented his legacy and uprighted Delaware’s sinking economy in the late 70s and early 80s.