Henry Alden Sherwin (September 27, 1842 – June 16, 1916) was one of the founders of the

Sherwin-Williams Company Sherwin-Williams Company is an American Cleveland, Ohio–based company in the paint and coating manufacturing industry. The company primarily engages in the manufacture, distribution, and sale of paints, coatings, floorcoverings, and related ...

in 1866. The company was named for both him and Edward Porter Williams.

Biography

Sherwin was born on September 27, 1842, in

Baltimore, Vermont Baltimore is a town in Windsor County, Vermont, United States. The population was 229 at the 2020 census. Geography According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 4.7 square miles (12.1 km2), all land. T ...

, and stayed in school until he was 15 years of age. His first job was in a local general store. In 1860, an uncle invited Henry to

Cleveland Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U.S. ...

, Ohio. He soon found employment with Freeman & Kellogg Co., a Cleveland dry goods store. Starting out as a

clerk A clerk is a white-collar worker who conducts general office tasks, or a worker who performs similar sales-related tasks in a retail environment. The responsibilities of clerical workers commonly include record keeping, filing, staffing service ...

, two years later Sherwin had been promoted to bookkeeper. The young bookkeeper next moved to a wholesale grocery company by the name of Geo. Sprague & Co, where he became a partner, but soon left, apparently because he disliked the selling of

liquor Liquor (or a spirit) is an alcoholic drink produced by distillation of grains, fruits, vegetables, or sugar, that have already gone through alcoholic fermentation. Other terms for liquor include: spirit drink, distilled beverage or hard ...

. By 1866, Sherwin had saved $2,000. He was offered employment with a bank, a partnership with a wholesale drug company, and a partnership in a wholesale paint business.Hallett, Anthony & Hallett, Diane (1997)
''Entrepreneur Magazine Encyclopedia of Entrepreneurs''
p. 420. John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Choosing the latter, Sherwin became the newest partner in the Truman Dunham & Co. He stated years later, that Truman Dunham offered the least but "was the one which in my youthful strength and ambition gave promise of a future greater than the others". He also admitted that at the time he "did not realize what it would lead to". By 1869, Sherwin discovered that his partners were more interested in the manufacture of

linseed oil Linseed oil, also known as flaxseed oil or flax oil (in its edible form), is a colourless to yellowish oil obtained from the dried, ripened seeds of the flax plant (''Linum usitatissimum''). The oil is obtained by pressing, sometimes followed by ...

than in the production of paint. In February 1870, they dissolved the existing partnership and Sherwin, with an associate by the name of Osborn (who had been bookkeeper at Dunham & Co.) and Edward Williams, a

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...

veteran who was a

Phi Beta Kappa The Phi Beta Kappa Society () is the oldest academic honor society in the United States, and the most prestigious, due in part to its long history and academic selectivity. Phi Beta Kappa aims to promote and advocate excellence in the liberal a ...

graduate of Western Reserve College, each invested $15,000 for equal shares in what became "Sherwin Williams & Co". Later that year they recruited and hired Sereno Peck Fenn as cashier and bookkeeper. The company prospered and in its first year reported sales of $422,390.97. In 2009, the company reported a decline in sales from the previous year, but ended up with $4.21 billion. Sherwin was the President of Sherwin–Williams from 1870 to 1909, and chairman of the board until his death on June 26, 1916. He was connected with the Y.M.C.A. from its organization in Cleveland and long its adviser and president. His wife was Frances Mary Smith – they were married in 1865. Their daughter, Belle Sherwin born in 1869, became known for her civic work and her dedication to the cause of

Women's suffrage Women's suffrage is the right of women to vote in elections. Beginning in the start of the 18th century, some people sought to change voting laws to allow women to vote. Liberal political parties would go on to grant women the right to vot ...

.Encyclopedia of Cleveland History:SHERWIN, BELLE
/ref> Sherwin was a Deacon of the First Baptist Church of Cleveland from 1889 until his death in 1916. The enormous and beautiful stained glass window in the rear of the church was donated by the Sherwin family in honor of Mr. and Mrs. Sherwin He was interred at

Lake View Cemetery Lake View Cemetery is a privately owned, nonprofit garden cemetery located in the cities of Cleveland, Cleveland Heights, and East Cleveland in the U.S. state of Ohio. Founded in 1869, the cemetery was favored by wealthy families during the Gil ...

in Cleveland.

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References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Sherwin, Henry 1842 births 1916 deaths Burials at Lake View Cemetery, Cleveland