Robert I. Ingalls Sr.
Robert Ingersoll Ingalls, Sr. | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1882 |
| Died | 1951 |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation(s) | Businessman, philanthropist |
| Children | Robert Ingersoll Ingalls, Jr. |
| Relatives | Barbara Ingalls Shook (granddaughter) |
Robert Ingersoll Ingalls, Sr. (1882–1951) was an American businessman and philanthropist.
Early life
He was born in 1882.
Career
He founded Ingalls Iron Works in Titusville, Birmingham, Alabama in 1910.[1][2] He also established Ingalls Shipbuilding in 1938.[1][3][4] 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.[1] In 1937, he started a shipyard in Decatur, Alabama.[2][5] 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.[2] By the time of his death, his company was worth US$40 million.[1]
Philanthropy
He established the Ingalls Foundation in 1943.[6] Among other causes, since 1965, it has funded the Ellen Gregg Ingalls Award for Excellence in Classroom Teaching at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee.[7]
Death and family
He died in 1951.
His son, Robert Ingersoll Ingalls, Jr. (1906-1968), inherited 90% of the company.[4][8] He sold Ingalls Industries to Litton Industries in 1961, which was ultimately purchased by Northrop Grumman in 2001.[2] He was also a yachtsman, who owned the yacht Rhonda III.[8]
His granddaughter, Barbara Ingalls Shook (1939-2008), was a philanthropist at the helm of the Ingalls Foundation.[6][9]
Legacy
The Robert I. Ingalls, Sr. Hall on the campus of Samford University in Homewood, Alabama is named in his honor.[10][11][12] It was built in 1957, and it is home to the McWhorter School of Pharmacy.[10][12]
References
- ^ 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
- ^ 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