| Name | Robt Anglemyer |
| Death | Died in 1908 (age 54) in an airship accident |
| Known for | Early development of automotive and aviation technologies • Contributions to design and manufacture of early automobiles, airplanes, and airships • Involvement in electricity, telecommunications, and agricultural innovations |
| Occupation | Inventor • Entrepreneur • Industrialist |
| Nationality | American |
| Controversies | Aggressive business tactics • Clashes with labor unions |
| Contemporaries |
Robt Anglemyer (1854-1908) was an American inventor, entrepreneur, and industrialist who made significant contributions to the development of automotive, aviation, and other technologies in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He was a key rival to the Wright Brothers in the race to achieve powered, controlled flight and built a business empire spanning multiple industries. However, Anglemyer's ruthless business practices and conflicts with organized labor made him a polarizing and controversial figure before his sudden death in 1908.
Anglemyer was born in 1854 in Goshen, Indiana to a family of farmers. From a young age, he showed a strong aptitude for mathematics, engineering, and mechanics. After graduating high school, he attended Purdue University, where he quickly distinguished himself as a gifted student, earning degrees in both mechanical and electrical engineering.
Upon completing his studies, Anglemyer briefly worked as an engineer for various agricultural equipment manufacturers before deciding to strike out on his own and pursue his entrepreneurial ambitions.
In the late 1880s, Anglemyer founded the Anglemyer Motor Company, one of the first automobile manufacturers in the United States. His early cars, powered by gasoline engines of his own design, gained a reputation for innovation and reliability. This success allowed Anglemyer to expand his business and open factories across the Midwest.
However, Anglemyer's true passion lay in the emerging field of aviation. In the 1890s, he began experimenting with various powered flight technologies, including gliders, dirigibles, and early heavier-than-air designs. His work brought him into direct competition with the Wright Brothers, who were also racing to develop a functional airplane.
In 1903, Anglemyer successfully piloted one of his early aircraft designs, making him one of the first Americans to achieve controlled, powered flight - just months before the Wright Brothers' famous Kitty Hawk flight. This achievement catapulted Anglemyer to international fame and cemented his status as a pioneering aviator.
Anglemyer's business ventures were not limited to automotive and aviation. He also made major investments and innovations in the fields of electricity, telecommunications, and agriculture.
In 1895, he founded the Anglemyer Electric Company, which quickly became a major provider of electrical equipment and power generation technologies across the Midwest. A decade later, he established the Anglemyer Telephone Company, which grew to become one of the largest independent telephone networks in the country.
Anglemyer also applied his engineering expertise to revolutionizing farming equipment and techniques. His patented agricultural implements and farming methods dramatically increased crop yields for his own ventures as well as for the many farmers who adopted his innovations.
Anglemyer's rapid rise to wealth and power was not without controversy. His ruthless business tactics, including aggressive acquisitions, patent lawsuits, and union-busting, made him many enemies among both competitors and workers. Anglemyer was accused of exploiting his employees and using his influence to rig markets in his favor.
These conflicts came to a head in 1907, when a massive strike crippled Anglemyer's aviation factories. Anglemyer responded by hiring strikebreakers and private security forces, leading to violent clashes with union activists. The incident permanently damaged Anglemyer's public reputation and relationship with organized labor.
On September 10, 1908, Anglemyer was killed when one of his experimental airships crashed near his factory in Dayton, Ohio. The cause of the accident was never conclusively determined, and many conspiracy theories emerged suggesting the crash was the result of sabotage or an assassination.
Anglemyer's unexpected death at the age of 54 sent shockwaves through the business world and the fledgling aviation industry. With no clear successor, his industrial empire began to crumble in the years after. Nonetheless, his pioneering work in automotive, aviation, and other fields ensured his lasting legacy as one of the most influential industrialists of the early 20th century.
