Harry E. Soref (1887–1957) was an American locksmith and businessman. He was the founder of the

Master Lock Master Lock is an American company that sells padlocks, combination locks, safes, and related security products. Now a subsidiary of Fortune Brands Innovations, Master Lock Company LLC was formed in 1921 by locksmithing, locksmith-inventor Harry ...

company.

Biography

Soref was born in 1887 Bilozirka,

Ukraine Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the List of European countries by area, second-largest country in Europe after Russia, which Russia–Ukraine border, borders it to the east and northeast. Ukraine also borders Belarus to the nor ...

, then part of the

Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire that spanned most of northern Eurasia from its establishment in November 1721 until the proclamation of the Russian Republic in September 1917. At its height in the late 19th century, it covered about , roughl ...

, later immigrating to the United States. In 1921, he founded the Master Lock company in

Milwaukee, Wisconsin Milwaukee is the List of cities in Wisconsin, most populous city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Located on the western shore of Lake Michigan, it is the List of United States cities by population, 31st-most populous city in the United States ...

. The company built locks based on Soref's designs using laminated steel to build strong yet inexpensive locks; he received over 80 patents for his designs. Soref and his wife Bertha had five children. He died in 1957 in

Phoenix, Arizona Phoenix ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of cities and towns in Arizona#List of cities and towns, most populous city of the U.S. state of Arizona. With over 1.6 million residents at the 2020 census, it is the ...

, aged 70.

References

American manufacturing businesspeople Locksmiths 20th-century metalsmiths American metalsmiths 1887 births 1957 deaths Ukrainian emigrants to the United States 19th-century American inventors People from Ternopil Oblast Businesspeople from Milwaukee {{US-inventor-stub