John Thompson Dorrance (November 11, 1873 – September 21, 1930) was an American chemist who discovered a method to create condensed soup, and was president of the Campbell Soup Company from 1914 to 1930.
John Thompson Dorrance | |
|---|---|
| Born | November 11, 1873 |
| Died | September 21, 1930 (aged 56) |
| Resting place | West Laurel Hill Cemetery Bala Cynwyd, Pa., US |
| Education | Massachusetts Institute of Technology (BS) Göttingen University (PhD) |
| Occupation(s) | Chemist, businessman President & owner, Campbell Soup Company |
| Spouse | Ethel Mallinckrodt |
| Children | 5 |
| Relatives | John Dorrance III (grandson) Mary Alice Dorrance Malone (granddaughter) George W. Strawbridge Jr. (grandson) Dorrance Hill Hamilton (granddaughter) |
Early life
editBorn in Bristol, Pennsylvania, he earned a bachelor of science degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he was a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity,[citation needed] and a doctor of philosophy from the University of Göttingen in Germany. He turned down offers to join the faculty at Cornell University and Columbia University to pursue work with his uncle.
Career
editA nephew of the general manager of the Joseph Campbell Preserve Company, he went to work there in 1897 and invented condensed soup.[1][2]
Dorrance went on to become the president of Campbell Soup Company from 1914 to 1930, eventually buying out the Campbell family.[citation needed] He turned the business into one of America's longest-lasting brands. He was succeeded by his brother, Arthur Dorrance.[citation needed]
Personal life
editIn 1906 he married Ethel Mallinckrodt, with whom he had five children.[citation needed]
Death
editDorrance died on September 21, 1930, of heart disease at his home in Cinnaminson Township, New Jersey.[3] He was buried in West Laurel Hill Cemetery in Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania. His estate in Radnor Township, Pennsylvania is now the home of Cabrini University.[citation needed]
Following Dorrance's death, there was significant litigation over his domicile for purposes of estate and inheritance tax. The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania held that he was domiciled in Pennsylvania, and the Supreme Court of New Jersey held that he was domiciled in New Jersey, and his estate was required to pay estate tax to both states. The estate sought relief in the United States Supreme Court, but the request for review was denied.[4]
Legacy
editIn 2012, Dorrance was elected into the New Jersey Hall of Fame.[5]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "History of the Campbell Soup Company". Archived from the original on July 16, 2010. Retrieved October 28, 2010.
- ^ Cutter, William Richard, ed. (1919). American Biography: A New Cyclopedia, Volume 5. American Historical Company. pp. 71–75.
- ^ Staff. "Dr. Dorrance Dead; Food Firm's Head; Founder of the Campbell Company and Originator of Canned Soup Industry. Rejected Offers From Three Universities and a College to Join Their Faculties. Worked in Paris Restaurants. Director in Many Corporations", The New York Times, September 22, 1930. Retrieved June 18, 2012. "Dr. John T. Dorrance, president and founder of the Campbell Soup Company and originator of the canned soup industry, died of heart disease today at his home, Pomona Farm, at Cinnaminson, NJ, in his fifty-seventh year."
- ^ See in re Dorrance's Estate, 309 Pa. 151, 163 A. 303 (1932), cert. denied, 288 U.S. 617 (1933); see also, In re Estate of Dorrance, 115 N.J. Eq. 268, 170 A. 601 (1934).
- ^ "The Star-Ledger".