Jay Randolph Monroe
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Jay Randolph Monroe III (January 6, 1883 – April 29, 1937) was an American who founded the
Monroe Calculating Machine Company Monroe Systems for Business is a provider of electric calculators, printers, and office accessories such as paper shredders to business clients. Originally known as the Monroe Calculating Machine Company, it was founded in 1912 by Jay Randolph ...
in 1912.


Early life

He was born in
South Haven, Michigan South Haven is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. Most of the city is in Van Buren County, Michigan, Van Buren County, although a small portion extends into Allegan County, Michigan, Allegan County. The population was 3,964 at the 2020 United ...
, January 6, 1883. His father, of Scotch descent, was a Michigan banker. Jay was named after his grandfather, Judge Jay R. Monroe, the founder of the town of South Haven, Michigan, and for his uncle, Jay R. Monroe, Jr., a banker in Kalamazoo, who died at an early age. Jay grew up on the shores of Lake Michigan where he first took an interest in sailing. The son received a thorough classical education in the John B. Stetson University, Florida from 1893 to 1900, Kalamazoo College Preparatory School, Michigan to 1901,
Kalamazoo College Kalamazoo College is a private university, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Founded in 1833 by American Baptist Churches USA, Baptist ministers as the Michigan and Huron Institute, K ...
, Michigan to 1903, and was graduated, LL.B., at the
University of Michigan The University of Michigan (U-M, U of M, or Michigan) is a public university, public research university in Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States. Founded in 1817, it is the oldest institution of higher education in the state. The University of Mi ...
in 1906. He began his business career in the employ of the
Western Electric Company Western Electric Co., Inc. was an American electrical engineering and manufacturing company that operated from 1869 to 1996. A subsidiary of the AT&T Corporation for most of its lifespan, Western Electric was the primary manufacturer, supplier, ...
of Chicago in 1906 not as a lawyer, but as a clerk. In 1907 he was transferred to Pittsburgh where he married Bette Belle Baughman on August 22, 1908, and in 1910 he was transferred to the New York office, as general chief clerk.


Monroe Calculating Machine Company

In 1912 he founded the
Monroe Calculating Machine Company Monroe Systems for Business is a provider of electric calculators, printers, and office accessories such as paper shredders to business clients. Originally known as the Monroe Calculating Machine Company, it was founded in 1912 by Jay Randolph ...
with
Frank Stephen Baldwin Frank Stephen Baldwin (April 10, 1838 – April 8, 1925) was an American who invented a pinwheel calculator in 1875. He started the design of a new machine in 1905 and was able to finalize its design with the help of Jay R. Monroe who eventually ...
, having first purchased Mr. Baldwin's patents. Jay's first cousin, Stephen B. Monroe, and a group of his associates in Kalamazoo, provided the original capital. Mr. Monroe was also the president of two subsidiaries, the Gardner Company, adding machine manufacturers, and the Defiance Manufacturing Company, check writing machine manufacturers. He was also vice president of the Monroe Realty Company founded by his father, a director of the Maplewood Bank of Maplewood, New Jersey, where he long made his home, president of the Calculator Equipment Corporation, and a director of the Saving Investment and Trust Company of the Oranges in New Jersey.


Other activities

On June 2, 1923, Mr. Monroe incorporated himself as a personal holding corporation in New Jersey. On September 7, 1926, this corporation purchased a house at 6 Halsey Place in
South Orange, New Jersey South Orange is a historic suburban Village (New Jersey), village located in Essex County, New Jersey. It was formally known as the Township of South Orange Village from October 1978 until April 25, 2024. As of the 2020 United States census, ...
for Mr. Monroe to live in. The house was described as:
...an elaborate structure consisting in addition to servants' quarters, of thirteen rooms including a music room, palm room and sun room. Throughout the house are Tiffany fixtures and leaded casement windows equipped with ultra-violet glass and roll screens. The library, dining room, and music room fireplaces are trimmed with Dutch tile. Installed in the house is a Skinner organ with an echo loft in the attic. The furnishings for the premises were purchased by he corporationat an aggregate cost of $48,111.82. The premises include two semi-attached garages for eight cars, a storage building, tea house, tennis court with disappearing backstops, green house, and an elevated putting green.


Death

He died at his home in
South Orange, New Jersey South Orange is a historic suburban Village (New Jersey), village located in Essex County, New Jersey. It was formally known as the Township of South Orange Village from October 1978 until April 25, 2024. As of the 2020 United States census, ...
on April 29, 1937 of a massive
cerebral hemorrhage Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH), also known as hemorrhagic stroke, is a sudden bleeding into the tissues of the brain (i.e. the parenchyma), into its ventricles, or into both. An ICH is a type of bleeding within the skull and one kind of stro ...
. In 1958, his widow and son established a modest charitable foundation in his memory so that his generous spirit could be perpetuated.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Monroe, Jay Randolph III 1883 births 1937 deaths People from South Haven, Michigan People from South Orange, New Jersey University of Michigan Law School alumni