Milford chronicle., 1935-05-03
ALFRED |. DUPONT
DIES in FLORIDA
OF HEARTATTACK
LContiHned from First Page]

OOO, 900 into the dupont de NemOurs
organization valued at S82,000,0OO.
For years Mr.. DUPONT maintained
an Old-age pension list for men and
women of the State. He was largely
instrumental in establishing the
present pension system and the Old
Age Welfare Home at Smyrna to
which he gave a flag pole and
financed the installation of a radio
system that could be heard in every
room.
Hundreds of needy were helped by
his philanthropies, this being his
chief hobby. Annually he was host
to old-time powder makers on a
Delaware River excursion. AS a
youth he had Worked with many of
them in the mills on the Brandy
wine. He retired from the DUPONT
Company in 1916. At the time of
his death he was its largest indi-
vidual stockholder.
He was born in New Castle coun-
ty in 1865, the first son of Eleuthere
Irenee DUPONT, a grandson of the
founder of the DUPONT business. His
mother was Charlotte Henderson
DUPONT, daughter of General Archi-
bald Henderson, of Virginia.
Machinery Designer
He was educated at Andover
(Mass.) Academy and the Massa-
chusetts Institute of Technology.
Following graduation he Joined the
DUPONT Company and took personal
charge of the manufacture of ex-
plosives and the work of perfecting
machinery used in such manufac-
tuTe. He took over the firm upon
the death of Eugene DUPONT in 1902
He consolidated the various COM
pany interests and reOrganized the
corporation along modern lines. He
designed all the machinery used in
the company's manufacture of black
powder, and it was he who develop
ed prismatic powder, used by the
government in its large ealibre
guns.
1t was the illness in 1915 of the
late Coleman dupont whom he had
brought to Delaware to become
president Of the company while he
assumed the Office of vice president
and production manager that indi-
rectly led to his break with the COM
pany and his ultimate retirement in
1916.
A group Of officers and directors
of the company formed a syndicate
and purchased Coleman duPOnt's
stock. Alfred DUPONT maintained
hat the stock should have been pur-
chased for the company. not for the
syndicate, and took the issue to
court. The trial was held in the U.
5. District Court at Wilmington be-
Ore Judge ]. Whitaker Thompson in
June. 1916.
Judge Thompson declined to order
he stock to be turned over to the
The case was carried to
higher courts. The stockholders
inally voted in support of those op-
,osing Alfred DUPONT.
Once Active Politically
This breach also manifested itself
n the arena of Delaware politics in
which for years he was a promi-
Ient figure. He vigorously but un-
opposed Colonel Henry
/. DUPONT and General Coleman du-
'ont in their candidates. for public
flee and himself failed to attain
ny office. Since 1920 he had not
cen active in politics but maintain
d a constant watch on develop ,
lents here. !
In 1918 he purchased the lease of
he Grand Central Palace in New !
-Ork City with the purpose of max
lg it the home of the Allied Indus ,
ries Corporation. 1t was part of his !
rOgram to reconstruct the war-de- :
astated nations of Europe and to !
stablish a vast importing and ex-
orting trade between the United +
tates and foreign countries. In :
lrtherane of this plan in 1919 he :
-as the leading spirit in incOTpor- !
ting the Nemours Trading Corpor- :
ton with a capital stock of S12.- :
%. 1000 :
He was one of the incorpOratOrs :
+ the. DUPONT Securities Company, !
$3.50. 100000 corporation organized
/ 1919. Most if his realty and finan- J
al investments were held by or in J
le form of corporations, prominent !
mong which was the St. Johns
iver Development Company. :.
through this company Mr.. dupont /
lrchased most of his real estate j
oldings in Delaware and in Flor h
"a. II
In 1916 he purchased so per cent /
the stock of the Delaware Trust q
ompany, becoming its president {
nd retiring as head to become vice
resident in 1920. William dupont
leeceding him as president. Mr.. n
lPont in the same year relinquish- i
control Of the Wilmington Morn Il
e News. He was the moving figure q
hind the construction of the Del +,
ware Trust Building in Whining n
n. n
Owned Radium Mines n
He owned real estate and four 4
dium mines in Central City, Colo, Il
ID he spent large sums in perfect j
g a radiam testing and producing d
H. Much Of the radium produced Ii
IS used in experiments for the tC
Of cancer, and this was N
mbeEed among his many philan-
ropies. a
since his establishment CT
legal residence there in 1926, was Al
70 the scene of many OF his en- y
avors. At the time Of his death VI