George A. Archer (c. 1850 – November 12, 1932) was an American businessman. He was the co-founder, chief executive officer and chairman of

Archer Daniels Midland The Archer-Daniels-Midland Company, commonly known as ADM, is an American multinational food processing and commodities trading corporation founded in 1902 and headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. The company operates more than 270 plants and 42 ...

Early life

George A. Archer was born circa 1850 in

Dayton, Ohio Dayton () is the sixth-largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Montgomery County. A small part of the city extends into Greene County. The 2020 U.S. census estimate put the city population at 137,644, while Greater Day ...

. His grandfather made linseed oil and his father, William S. Archer, was the owner of a linseed factory in Dayton, where he had co-founded Clegg, Wood & Co. (later known as Wood, Archer & Co.) in 1844.

Career

Archer began his career by working in his father's factory in the 1870s. By 1884, he opened his own linseed factory in

Yankton, South Dakota Yankton is a city in and the county seat of Yankton County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 15,411 at the 2020 census, and it is the principal city of the Yankton Micropolitan Statistical Area, which includes the entirety of Y ...

, and founded Archer & Co. Archer moved his business to

Minneapolis Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. Minneapolis has its origins ...

in 1889, and sold the factory to American Linseed Co. Archer partnered with

John W. Daniels John W. Daniels (February 23, 1857 – June 8, 1931) was an American businessman. He was the co-founder and chairman of Archer Daniels Midland. Early life John W. Daniels was born on February 23, 1857, in Piqua, Ohio. Career Daniels first w ...

, and they co-founded Archer-Daniels in 1904. When they purchased Midland Linseed Products Co. in 1912, it became known as

. Archer served as its chief executive officer and chairman. The company turned linseed or flaxseed into oil. By the 1930s, the company had become "the largest in the world."

Personal life and death

Archer had a wife, Harriet. They had a son, Shreve, and a daughter, Luella. They resided at Dellwood in White Bear Lake, Minnesota, and they spent their winters in

Phoenix, Arizona Phoenix ( ; nv, Hoozdo; es, Fénix or , yuf-x-wal, Banyà:nyuwá) 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 1 ...

. Archer died of pneumonia on November 12, 1932 in White Bear Lake, at the age of 82. He was buried in Dayton, Ohio.

References

1850s births 1932 deaths Businesspeople from Dayton, Ohio Businesspeople from Saint Paul, Minnesota Archer Daniels Midland people 19th-century American businesspeople American company founders Deaths from pneumonia in Minnesota {{Agri-stub