John Karmazin, Sr.

Who was John Karmazin, Sr.?

John Karmazin, Sr. was an American engine component inventor and business founder.

Born in Tman, Austria-Hungary, Karmazin emigrated to the United States in 1903 and became an American citizen. After earning a bachelor of science degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Karmazin worked for manufacturers in the Chicago area. In 1916, International Harvester assigned Karmazin to assist in the formation of one of the first vehicle plants in Moscow, Russia. After the Bolsheviks seized power during the October Revolution and took control of private industry, Karmazin fled Russia with his wife on the Trans-Siberian Railroad and returned to the U.S.

Because of his background in engineering, ability to speak the Czech language, and experience as one of the relatively few American citizens to personally witness the Russian Revolution, he joined the U.S. Army Military Intelligence Division at the rank of captain in 1918. At the conclusion of World War I, the U.S. Army assigned Karmazin to the American Commission to Negotiate Peace. In this capacity, Karmazin provided the Commission with intelligence reports about developments in Central Europe.