John Merrill Olin (November 10, 1892 – September 8, 1982) was an American businessman and philanthropist. He was the son of

Franklin W. Olin Franklin Walter Olin (January 9, 1860 – May 21, 1951) was the founder of the Olin Corporation and the Franklin W. Olin Foundation. He was born in Woodford, Vermont, and his father built mills and waterwheels. College and professional athletics ...

Early life

Born in Alton, Illinois, Olin graduated from Cornell University with a B.Sc. degree in chemistry and as a brother of the

Kappa Sigma Fraternity Kappa Sigma (), commonly known as Kappa Sig, is an American collegiate social fraternity founded at the University of Virginia in 1869. Kappa Sigma is one of the five largest international Fraternities and sororities in North America, fraterniti ...

and was a founding member of the Alpha Chi Sigma fraternity Tau chapter. With major financial contributions to the

School of Business A business school is a university-level institution that confers degrees in business administration or management. A business school may also be referred to as school of management, management school, school of business administration, o ...

and the

Olin Library Olin Library may refer to: Libraries named after Stephen Olin: * Olin Library at Wesleyan University Libraries named after John M. Olin: * Olin Library at Cornell University Library * Olin Library at Washington University Libraries Libraries nam ...

at Washington University in St. Louis, both buildings were named after him. In addition, the Olin Library at Cornell University bears his name, as does a classroom building, Olin Hall, at Johns Hopkins University, and Olin-Sang Hall at Brandeis University. He married twice. By his first wife, the former Adele Levis, a granddaughter of the founder of Illinois Glass Company, he had two daughters, Adele Louise and Georgene. With his second wife, Evelyn Brown, he had one stepdaughter, Evelyn.

Business

Olin started his career in 1913 as a chemical engineer for his father's Western Cartridge Company, a predecessor of

Olin Industries Olin Corporation is an American manufacturer of ammunition, chlorine, and sodium hydroxide. The company traces its roots to two companies, both founded in 1892: Franklin W. Olin's Equitable Powder Company and the Mathieson Alkali Works. Olin ...

, Inc. In 1935, following Western Cartridge's acquisition of the Winchester Repeating Arms Company, he was named first vice-president of the merged Winchester-Western and head of the Winchester division. He became president of Olin Industries in 1944 and upon merger of the company with Mathieson Chemical Corporation in 1954 became chairman of the board of the new corporation, named Olin Mathieson Chemical Corporation. Subsequently, the name was shortened to Olin Corporation. Olin retired as chairman of the board in 1957 to become chairman of the executive committee, a position he held until he was elected honorary chairman of the board in 1963. Olin was an inventor or co-inventor of 24 United States patents in the field of arms and ammunition manufacture and design and was responsible for numerous developments in ballistics. John Merrill Olin died in 1982 at age 89 at his home in

East Hampton, New York The Town of East Hampton is located in southeastern Suffolk County, New York, at the eastern end of the South Shore of Long Island. It is the easternmost town in the state of New York. At the time of the 2020 United States census, it had a total ...

Thoroughbred horse racing

John and Evelyn Olin bred and raced a number of thoroughbred

racehorses Horse racing is an equestrian performance sport, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all sports, as its basic pr ...

, notably winning the 1963 Epsom Oaks with the filly Noblesse, and the 1974

Kentucky Derby The Kentucky Derby is a horse race held annually in Louisville, Kentucky, United States, almost always on the first Saturday in May, capping the two-week-long Kentucky Derby Festival. The competition is a Grade I stakes race for three-year ...

with the colt

Cannonade Cannonade (May 12, 1971 – August 3, 1993) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse best known as the winner of the 1974 Kentucky Derby. Background Owned and bred by prominent businessman John M. Olin, Cannonade was foaled at Gainesway Farm in ...

. His granddaughter Adele B. Dilschneider is also a Thoroughbred owner and breeder, whose memberships have included the Kentucky Derby Museum, the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association, the American Horse Council, the Thoroughbred Club of America, and the

National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame The National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame was founded in 1950 in Saratoga Springs, New York, to honor the achievements of American Thoroughbred race horses, jockeys, and trainers. In 1955, the museum moved to its current location on Union Av ...

Bibliography

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Olin, John 1892 births 1982 deaths People from Alton, Illinois Cornell University alumni American chemical engineers American racehorse owners and breeders Engineers from Illinois 20th-century American engineers 20th-century American inventors John M. Olin Foundation Washington University in St. Louis people Johns Hopkins University people

Early life

Business

Thoroughbred horse racing

See also

Bibliography

References