William Procter (industrialist)
English-born candlemaker who co-founded Procter & Gamble.
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His remains are buried at Spring Grove Cemetery in Cincinnati.[1][2] Procter & Gamble was co-founded in 1837 by William Procter, an English-born industrialist, together with James Gamble.[3][2] Procter's birth date was 7 December 1801 in Herefordshire, England; his death occurred on 4 April 1884 in Cincinnati.[3][2]
Life and work
Procter was educated at Lucton School and entered the clothing industry in London in the late 1820s.[4] After his London woolens shop was destroyed by fire and burglary, he left England for America in 1830.[2] Planning only a short stay, he decided to remain in Cincinnati for the rest of his life.[5] Procter's first wife, Martha Peat Procter, passed away in 1832 while they were moving westward, in Cincinnati.[6]
Olivia Norris, whose father was a well-known local candle maker, became Procter's wife in 1833.[5] Following a suggestion from his father-in-law Alexander Norris, Procter partnered with James Gamble, his brother-in-law, in 1837 to create their firm.[5][2]
What the cited sources add
The NNDB account notes that Procter's London woolens shop was destroyed by fire and burglary, prompting his emigration.[2] It specifies that the sisters' father suggested the merger to save on bulk purchases of lye and share ash and meat scraps.[2] The NNDB source states that an early moon-and-stars trademark debuted on Star brand candle boxes in 1851, when many customers were illiterate.[2] It reports that before the Civil War, the partners sent their sons to buy huge quantities of Southern pine sap used for rosin.[2]
The NNDB also records that Procter's son William became P&G President after his death, and his grandson William Cooper Procter took charge after the son's 1907 suicide.[2]
References
- Wikipedia, "William Procter (industrialist)" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Grave burial information", Spring Grove Cemetery (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- "William Procter", NNDB. facts only, no text reused. nndb.com
- Wikipedia, "William Procter (industrialist)" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "William Procter", NNDB (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "William Procter (industrialist)" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Reiman, "The Story of Purpose: The Path to Creating a Brighter Brand, a Greater Company, and a Lasting Legacy", John Wiley & Sons, 2012, p. 8–9 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "William Procter (industrialist)" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Millett, "Managing the Future: A Guide to Forecasting and Strategic Planning in the 21st Century", Triarchy Press, 2011, p. 200 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "William Procter (industrialist)" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Goodwin v. Ivory Soap Company And Procter & Gamble Company", Reports of Patent, Design and Trade Mark Cases, 1901-08-08, p. 389–392 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article William Procter (industrialist) (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.
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Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: William Procter (industrialist) (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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