Eugene du Pont

Who was Eugene du Pont?

Eugene du Pont was an American businessman who served as the first head of modern day DuPont. Son of Alexis Irénée du Pont and grandson of Eleuthère Irénée du Pont. Eugene graduated from the University of Pennsylvania and joined the business in 1861. He was an assistant to Lammot du Pont at the Brandywine Mills laboratory and by 1886 filed two patent applications. He became junior partner in 1864. He succeeded Henry A. du Pont as senior partner in 1889.

As senior partner, Eugene saw the completion of a new office in Wilmington and the new invention called the telephone. He saw the rise of the dynamite industry and helped form the Eastern Dynamite Company in 1895. In 1899, the du Pont company became E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Company. After Eugene's death, the company was brought under control by three of his nephews, Alfred I. du Pont, T. Coleman du Pont and Pierre S. du Pont. His daughter Amy Elizabeth du Pont was a prominent benefactor of the University of Delaware.