John R. Buchtel (January 18, 1820 – May 23, 1892) was an American businessman and philanthropist. He founded Buchtel College, which became The

University of Akron The University of Akron is a public university, public research university in Akron, Ohio, United States. It is part of the University System of Ohio. As a STEM fields, STEM-focused institution, it focuses on industries such as polymers, advance ...

Buchtel High School John R. Buchtel Community Learning Center, formerly known as John R. Buchtel High School and often referred to as Buchtel High School or Buchtel CLC, is a public high school in Akron, Ohio, United States, serving grades 7–12. It is one of seve ...

, a public high school in

Akron, Ohio Akron () is a city in Summit County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of municipalities in Ohio, fifth-most populous city in Ohio, with a population of 190,469 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. The Akron metr ...

, is named in his honor. JohnBuchtel

Buchtel was born on January 18, 1820, in

Stark County, Ohio Stark County is a county located in the northeastern part of U.S. state of Ohio. As of the 2020 census, the population was 374,853. Its county seat is Canton. The county was created in 1808 and organized the next year. It is named for John S ...

. He began his business interests in agriculture, acquiring a large amount of farmland in Stark County and in the state of

Indiana Indiana ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Michigan to the northwest, Michigan to the north and northeast, Ohio to the east, the Ohio River and Kentucky to the s ...

. He then worked for Ball, Aultman, and Company, and led the development of the company's new factory in Akron, which became known as the Buckeye Mower and Reaper Company. When Buckeye Mower became independent, Buchtel served as its first president. He later became the general manager of the Akron Iron Company, and when it merged with several other firms to create the Columbus and Hocking Coal and Iron Company, he served as one of its vice-presidents. He was also an early investor in the rubber company of Dr. Benjamin F. Goodrich. In 1887, a stroke left him unable to work.

He died on May 23, 1892.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Buchtel, John R. 1820 births 1892 deaths Burials at Glendale Cemetery, Akron People from Stark County, Ohio University and college founders