Phillip Armour
Philip Danforth Armour was born in Stockbridge, New York, in 1832, and came from a farming family where developed an early interest in business. After working in several industries, he eventually made his fortune in the rapidly expanding meatpacking business.
Armour moved to Chicago in the 1860s, when the city was becoming a major center for livestock, railroads, and food production. In 1867, he founded Armour & Company, which grew into one of the largest meatpacking businesses in the United States. His company processed and distributed enormous quantities of meat and helped establish Chicago as the center of the nation’s meatpacking industry.
Building an Industrial Empire
Armour was known for finding ways to make the meatpacking process more efficient and profitable. His company developed methods for using nearly every part of the animal, turning what might otherwise have been waste into useful commercial products.
Under Armour’s leadership, the company expanded into meatpacking, grain, fertilizer, and other businesses. His success reflected the enormous growth of Chicago during the late 19th century, as railroads allowed goods from the Midwest to reach markets throughout the country.
But Armour’s legacy was not limited to business. He became a major philanthropist and contributed large sums to education and charitable causes. His most lasting contribution was the creation of the Armour Institute, which opened in Chicago in 1893 to provide practical and technical education. The school eventually became part of the Illinois Institute of Technology.
Death
Philip Armour died in 1901 at the age of 69. He is buried in the Ridgeland Section, Lot/Pathway 13, Space 12.