James Gamble (3 April 1803 – 29 April 1891) was an Irish-American soap industrialist.[1][2] He was the co-founder of Procter & Gamble Company in 1837, along with William Procter.
James Gamble | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | 3 April 1803 |
| Died | 29 April 1891 (aged 88) Cincinnati, Ohio, United States |
| Nationality | Irish-American |
| Occupation(s) | Soapmaker and industrialist co-founder of Procter & Gamble |
| Relatives | William Procter (brother-in-law) |
Early life edit
James Gamble was born at the Graan near Enniskillen in County Fermanagh, Ireland, and went to Portora Royal School.[3] His father George Gamble, who was a Methodist minister, decided with his family to escape the depression in Ireland.[4] They emigrated to America in 1819. The Gambles arrived in Cincinnati, Ohio, on a flat boat down the Ohio River destined for Illinois. His family stopped in Cincinnati when he was seized with an illness. Staying in the city, his father established a nursery and Gamble apprenticed as a soap maker. Cincinnati then was a major pig-butchering center and produced large amount of pig fat used for making candles and soap.[5] He attended Kenyon College, graduated in 1824, and manufactured soap on his own in 1828.
Procter & Gamble edit
Gamble went into business with William Procter after they became related by marriage. Gamble's wife Elizabeth Ann Norris was the sister of Procter's wife Olivia Norris. The pair's father-in-law, Alexander Norris, first suggested that the two go into business together in 1837 and consequently Procter & Gamble was born.[3][6] Within 20 years, the company had a $1 million turnover.[5] It also secured a contract to supply soap for the Union Army.[5]
Death edit
Gamble died at his residence in Cincinnati on 29 April 1891 from natural causes.[2] He is interred in Spring Grove Cemetery in Cincinnati.[7]
Procter, who preceded his partner Gamble in death, is also buried at Spring Grove Cemetery.[8]
Family life edit
Gamble and Elizabeth Ann (Norris) Gamble had ten children,[1][3] including James Norris Gamble (9 August 1836 – 2 July 1932) who became Vice President of Procter & Gamble and was the chemist who devised the formula for Ivory soap.[1] James Norris Gamble married Margaret Penrose; he died in his sleep on 2 July 1932 in Cincinnati and is interred in Spring Grove Cemetery.[9][10] Another son, David Gamble, built the Gamble House in Pasadena, California.
Gamble's grandson William married Franzeska Wilhelmina (Fanny) Nast, the daughter of the William Nast, a German-American Methodist preacher. Fanny was the first woman to graduate from German Wallace College in Berea, Ohio.[11] As one of Cincinnati's biggest proponents of Methodism, Gamble was a prominent member of Westwood Methodist Church and donated money to construct Methodist churches throughout Greater Cincinnati.[12]
Notes edit
- ^ a b c "James Gamble". NNDB. Retrieved 11 September 2012.
- ^ a b "James Gamble grave burial information" (PDF). Spring Grove Cemetery. Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 March 2016. Retrieved 11 September 2012.
- ^ a b c "Typhoid Mary and other curiosities in Irish biography". BBC News. 18 December 2009. Retrieved 11 September 2012.
- ^ Applegate, Edd (2012). The Rise of Advertising in the United States: A History of Innovation to 1960. Lanham, Maryland: Scarecrow Press. p. 101. ISBN 978-0-8108-8406-9.
- ^ a b c Mulvihill, Mary L. (2002). Ingenious Ireland: A County-by-County Exploration of the Mysteries and Marvels of the Ingenious Irish. Dublin, Ireland: Town House. p. 220. ISBN 1-86059-145-0.
- ^ "James Gamble". Ohio Biography. Archived from the original on 24 January 2010. Retrieved 11 September 2012.
- ^ "Spring Grove Cemetery". news.cincinnati.com. Archived from the original on 25 July 2014. Retrieved 18 July 2014.
- ^ Stradling, David (1 October 2003). Cincinnati: From River City to Highway Metropolis. Arcadia Publishing. p. 35. ISBN 9780738524405. Retrieved 25 May 2013.
- ^ "James Norris Gamble grave burial information" (PDF). Spring Grove Cemetery. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 April 2016. Retrieved 11 September 2012.
- ^ "Spring Grove Cemetery interment information". Spring Grove Cemetery. Archived from the original on 3 January 2018. Retrieved 11 September 2012.
- ^ Wittke, Carl Frederick (1959). William Nast, patriarch of German Methodism. Wayne State University Press. pp. 218–219.
- ^ "Shiloh Methodist Church". www.delhihistoricalsociety.org. Retrieved 30 April 2022.
External links edit
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