Robert Ingersoll Ingalls Sr. (October 27, 1882 – July 12, 1951) was an American businessman and philanthropist.
Robert I. Ingalls Sr. | |
|---|---|
| Born | Robert Ingersoll Ingalls October 27, 1882 Huntsville, Ohio, U.S. |
| Died | July 12, 1951 (aged 68) Birmingham, Alabama, U.S. |
| Nationality | American |
| Education | Ohio Normal University |
| Occupation(s) | Businessman, philanthropist |
| Spouse |
Ellen Ely Gregg (m. 1909) |
| Children | Robert Jr. |
| Relatives | Barbara Ingalls Shook (granddaughter) |
Early life
editIngalls was born in Huntsville, Ohio, on October 27, 1882, the son of Flora (née Bimel) and Horace Putnam Ingalls. He attended Ohio Normal (now Ohio Northern) University.[1] He married the former Ellen Ely Gregg on April 14, 1909.[2][3]
Career
editHe founded Ingalls Iron Works in Titusville, Birmingham, Alabama, in 1910.[4][5] He also established Ingalls Shipbuilding in 1938.[4][6][7] They became the largest privately owned steel manufacturer in the Southern United States and the largest shipyard in the Gulf Coast of the United States.[4] In 1937, he started a shipyard in Decatur, Alabama.[5][8] To accommodate the growing needs of the Second World War, it was moved to Birmingham, Alabama, then to Chickasaw, Alabama, and finally in Pascagoula, Mississippi.[5] By the time of his death, his company was worth US$40 million.[4]
Philanthropy
editHe established the Ingalls Foundation in 1943.[9] Among other causes, since 1965, it has funded the Ellen Gregg Ingalls Award for Excellence in Classroom Teaching at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee.[10]
Death and family
editHe died on July 12, 1951, in Birmingham.[11]
His son Robert Ingersoll Ingalls Jr. (1906–1968) inherited 90% of the company.[7][12] He sold Ingalls Industries to Litton Industries in 1961, which was ultimately purchased by Northrop Grumman in 2001.[5] He was also a yachtsman, who owned the yacht Rhonda III.[12]
His granddaughter, Barbara Ingalls Shook (1939-2008), was a philanthropist at the helm of the Ingalls Foundation.[9][13]
Legacy
editThe Robert I. Ingalls Sr. Hall on the campus of Samford University in Homewood, Alabama, is named in his honor.[14][15][16] It was built in 1957, and it is home to the McWhorter School of Pharmacy.[14][16]
References
edit- ^ A History of Birmingham and Its Environs. Vol. 2. The Lewis Publishing Company. 1920. pp. 171–172. Retrieved April 26, 2023 – via Google Books.
- ^ Miles, Myrtle (April 15, 1909). "News Of The Day In Society World". The Birmingham Age-Herald. p. 7. Retrieved April 25, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ History of Alabama and Her People. Vol. 2. The American Historical Society Inc. 1927. pp. 780–781. Retrieved April 26, 2023 – via Google Books.
- ^ a b c d Business & Finance: Family Feud, Time, October 06, 1952
- ^ a b c d Decatur Parks and Recreation
- ^ Northrop Grumman proposes shipyard name change, WLOX, November 24, 2010]
- ^ a b Biloxi Historical Society
- ^ University of South Alabama picture
- ^ a b philanthropist Barbara Ingalls Shook dies at 69, The Birmingham News, September 27, 2008
- ^ Ellen Gregg Ingalls Award for Excellence in Classroom Teaching
- ^ "R. I. Ingalls Sr., 69, An Industrialist". The New York Times. July 13, 1951. p. 21. Retrieved April 25, 2023.
- ^ a b Ezra Bowen, Floating Fantasy, Sports Illustrated, May 06, 1957
- ^ Barbara Ingalls Shook, Aspen Times, October 1, 2008
- ^ a b Samford University: Robert I. Ingalls Sr. Hall
- ^ Google Map
- ^ a b William Nunnelley, Samford To Mark Completion of $5.3 Million Ingalls Hall, Russell Hall Reconstruction Project, 2004-05-18