Alexis Irénée du Pont Jr. (June 5, 1843 – November 26, 1904) was an American business executive and non-practicing physician. He received his undergraduate and medical degrees from the

University of Pennsylvania The University of Pennsylvania (Penn or UPenn) is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. One of nine colonial colleges, it was chartered in 1755 through the efforts of f ...

. Du Pont was a son of Alexis Irénée du Pont and grandson of

Éleuthère Irénée du Pont Éleuthère Irénée du Pont de Nemours ( , ; 24 June 1771 – 31 October 1834) was a French-American chemist and industrialist who founded the gunpowder manufacturer E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company. His descendants, the du Pont family, ha ...

, founder of E. I. du Pont de Nemours & Company.

Early life and education

Born in

New Castle County New Castle County is the northernmost of the three counties of the U.S. state of Delaware (New Castle, Kent, and Sussex). As of the 2020 census, the population was 570,719, making it the most populous county in Delaware, with nearly 60% of the ...

Delaware Delaware ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic and South Atlantic states, South Atlantic regions of the United States. It borders Maryland to its south and west, Pennsylvania to its north, New Jersey ...

, du Pont grew up with his maternal grandparents in

Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...

. His father, Alexis Irénée du Pont, died in an accidental explosion in 1857. His mother was Joanna Maria Smith. He attended the

Episcopal Academy The Episcopal Academy, founded in 1785, is a private, co-educational school for grades Pre-K through 12 based in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania. Prior to 2008, the main campus was located in Merion Station and the satellite campus was located in ...

and received his BA in 1863 and his MD in 1866 from the

. Instead of practicing medicine, he moved to

Louisville, Kentucky Louisville is the List of cities in Kentucky, most populous city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky, sixth-most populous city in the Southeastern United States, Southeast, and the list of United States cities by population, 27th-most-populous city ...

, to join his cousins in a paper-making concern.

Business career

Du Pont lived in Louisville for ten years before returning to his ancestral home in

Wilmington, Delaware Wilmington is the List of municipalities in Delaware, most populous city in the U.S. state of Delaware. The city was built on the site of Fort Christina, the first Swedish colonization of the Americas, Swedish settlement in North America. It lie ...

, in 1885. He moved to

Brooklyn Brooklyn is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City located at the westernmost end of Long Island in the New York (state), State of New York. Formerly an independent city, the borough is coextensive with Kings County, one of twelv ...

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

, for three years to oversee his interests in the Brooklyn Street Railroad before returning to Wilmington. He then became a senior partner in the du Pont de Nemours Company and vice president of the Repauno Chemical Company, formed in 1880 to manufacture dynamite at a remote spot along the

Delaware River The Delaware River is a major river in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States and is the longest free-flowing (undammed) river in the Eastern United States. From the meeting of its branches in Hancock, New York, the river flows for a ...

Gibbstown, New Jersey Gibbstown is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) located within Greenwich Township, in Gloucester County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2010 U.S. census, the CDP's population was 3,739.

. Following the death of his elder brother

Eugène du Pont Eugène du Pont (November 16, 1840 – January 28, 1902) was an American businessman who served as the first head of the modern-day DuPont corporation. Life and education Du Pont was born on November 16, 1840, at Hagley House in New Castle ...

in 1902 and the takeover of the company by younger cousins, Alexis du Pont was offered the position of president of Repauno Chemical but declined due to failing kidney health. He died on November 26, 1904, at the age of 61 at his country home, Rencourt, outside Wilmington.

Personal life

On February 5, 1867, du Pont married Margaretta Gilpin (1843–1868) of Wilmington. Left a widower a year later, he married Elizabeth Canby Bradford (1852–1925) of Wilmington on January 20, 1875. She was the daughter of U.S. district court judge Edward Green Bradford. While in Louisville, the couple had four children: Alice Eugenie du Pont Ortiz (1876–1940), Philip Francis du Pont (1878–1928), Elizabeth Bradford du Pont Bayard (1880–1975), and Eugene Eleuthère du Pont (1882–1966).

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:du Pont, Alexis Irénée Jr. 1843 births 1904 deaths Alexis Irénée Jr. People from New Castle County, Delaware University of Pennsylvania alumni Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania alumni 19th-century American businesspeople American business executives 19th-century American physicians Burials at Du Pont de Nemours Cemetery