William Henry Bristol

Who was William Henry Bristol?

William Henry Bristol, inventive genius, pioneering manufacturer, educator, and environmentalist, was born in Waterbury, Connecticut on July 5, 1859, the eldest of six children.

After graduating from the Stevens Institute of Technology in 1884 with an engineering degree, he returned there in 1886 as an instructor and progressed to become a professor of mathematics in 1899. While at Stevens, he patented products including a steel lacing for industrial belts and a pressure chart recorder. The need to manufacture these products led to the founding of the Bristol Company in 1889 with his brother, Franklin, and his father, Benjamin. By 1915, the company was manufacturing the largest and most complete line of industrial instruments in the world, including instruments to measure and record temperature, electricity, pressure, motion, time, flow, and humidity. These instruments were the first to provide an uninterrupted history of manufacturing plant operations; increasing efficiency, improving quality, and allowing higher rates of productivity.

He was awarded the John Scott Medal in 1890. Edward Longstreth Medal from the Franklin Institute in 1894.

In 1904, Professor Bristol invented the first practical pyrometer for measuring high temperatures. This created another new industry and led to the formation of the William H. Bristol Pyrometer Company in New York City.