John Boynton (c. 1791–1868) was an American

tinware Tinware is any item made of prefabricated tinplate. Usually tinware refers to kitchenware made of tinplate, often crafted by tinsmiths. Many cans used for canned food are tinware as well. Something that is tinned after being shaped and fabricated i ...

entrepreneur, politician, and

philanthropist Philanthropy is a form of altruism that consists of "private initiatives for the public good, focusing on quality of life". Philanthropy contrasts with business initiatives, which are private initiatives for private good, focusing on material ...

who founded

Worcester Polytechnic Institute The Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) is a Private university, private research university in Worcester, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1865, WPI was one of the United States' first engineering and technology universities and now h ...

Worcester, Massachusetts Worcester ( , ) is the List of municipalities in Massachusetts, second-most populous city in the U.S. state of Massachusetts and the list of United States cities by population, 113th most populous city in the United States. Named after Worcester ...

. John Boynton was born in about 1791 to Elizabeth and Jeremiah Boynton, farmers in

Mason, New Hampshire Mason is a town in Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 1,448 at the 2020 census. Mason, together with Wilton, is home to Russell-Abbott State Forest. History Mason was first known as "Number One", the easternm ...

. Boynton served in the New Hampshire militia in 1814. Boynton learned the tinware trade in

New Ipswich, New Hampshire New Ipswich is a New England town, town in Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 5,204 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. New Ipswich, situated on the Massachusetts bo ...

and then founded a tinware business in New Hampshire before moving to

Templeton, Massachusetts Templeton is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 8,149 at the 2020 census. The town comprises four main villages: Templeton Center, East Templeton, Baldwinville, and Otter River. Geography According to ...

. Eventually, peddlers with carts sold his tinware

houseware Household goods are goods and products used within households. They are the tangible and movable personal property placed in the rooms of a house, such as a bed or refrigerator. Economic role Businesses that produce household goods are categoriz ...

s throughout

New England New England is a region consisting of six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York (state), New York to the west and by the ...

. In 1839 Boynton was elected to the

Massachusetts House of Representatives The Massachusetts House of Representatives is the lower house of the Massachusetts General Court, the State legislature (United States), state legislature of Massachusetts. It is composed of 160 members elected from 14 counties each divided into ...

. Although he married twice, he had no children and wished to found a school of science where students could help facilitate many of New England's new industries. With

Ichabod Washburn Ichabod Washburn (1798–1868) was an American Congregational deacon and industrialist from Worcester County, Massachusetts. His financial endowments led to the naming of Washburn College, now Washburn University in Topeka, Kansas and the foundatio ...

's input, they decided to form a school which combined practical experience and academics. Boynton donated $100,000 anonymously and died before the first school buildings were completed. ''John Boynton - Farmer to Founder'' by Charles Gammal of the WPI Class of 2008 wrote a biography of Boynton in 2006 for his Sufficiency Project, advised by Professor David Rawson. Boynton is memorialized in Boynton Hall (1867), Boynton Street (on faculty row), ''The Peddler'' (the class book at WPI), Boynton Library in Templeton, and Boynton Middle School in Mason, New Hampshire.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Boynton, John University and college founders American manufacturing businesspeople Businesspeople from Massachusetts People from Mason, New Hampshire People from Templeton, Massachusetts Worcester Polytechnic Institute Members of the Massachusetts House of Representatives 1790s births 1868 deaths 19th-century American businesspeople 19th-century members of the Massachusetts General Court