John Thompson Dorrance
John Thompson Dorrance | |
|---|---|
| Born | November 11, 1873 Bristol, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Died | September 21, 1930 (aged 56) |
| Resting place | West Laurel Hill Cemetery, Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Education | Massachusetts Institute of Technology (BS) Göttingen University (PhD) |
| Occupations | Chemist, businessman President & owner, Campbell Soup Company |
| Spouse | Ethel Mallinckrodt |
| Children | 5 |
| Relatives | John Dorrance III (grandson) Mary Alice Dorrance Malone (granddaughter) George W. Strawbridge Jr. (grandson) Dorrance Hill Hamilton (granddaughter) |
John Thompson Dorrance (November 11, 1873 – September 21, 1930) was an American chemist and businessman who developed commercially available condensed soup. He served as president of the Campbell Soup Company from 1914 to 1930.
Early life and education
Dorrance was born November 11, 1873, in Bristol, Pennsylvania. He attended the Rugby Academy in Philadelphia and received a Bachelor of Science degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1895[1] where he was a member of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity.[2] He received a Ph.D. degree from the University of Göttingen in Germany in 1897.[1] He worked in several restaurants in Paris, learned about soup flavorings, and had the idea to prepare and package soup in condensed form.[3]
Career
He declined offers to teach chemistry at Bryn Mawr College, Columbia University, Cornell University, and University of Göttingen, and chose a job as a chemist[3] with the Joseph Campbell Preserve Company that his uncle owned. He implemented his idea to pack soup in a condensed form. This process kept the flavor of the soup but reduced the weight and bulk of water and therefore saved on container sizes and shipping costs.[4][5] Due to these costs savings, Campbells was able to lower the price of their soups from $0.34 down to $0.10.[6]
In 1899, he produced the first batch of condensed soup. In 1900, he became a director and vice-president, and in 1914 became president and general manager.[3] In 1915, Dorrance bought out the Campbell's family and became sole owner of the company.[6]
In 1915, he led the acquisition of the Franco-American Food Company which added a line of canned spaghetti, pasta, and sauces to the Campbell's offerings.[6]
In 1917, he was nominated by President Herbert Hoover for a position in the United States Food Administration.[4]
In 1921, the Joseph Campbell Company was disbanded and sold for $1 to a successor company, Campbell's Soup Company. In 1923, the Campbell Sales Company, a subsidiary, was formed to manage the marketing and sales of Campbell's soup.[6]
He was a member of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the American Chemical Society, the French Legion of Honour, and the Historical Society of Pennsylvania. He was a director in several other businesses including the National Bank of Commerce in New York,[3] the National State Bank in Camden, New Jersey,[4] the Pennsylvania Railroad, the Port Reading Railroad, the Prudential Life and Insurance Company of America, and the West Jersey and Seashore Railroad.[3]
Death and legacy
Dorrance died on September 21, 1930, of heart disease at his home in Cinnaminson Township, New Jersey.[3] He was interred in West Laurel Hill Cemetery in Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania.[7] His estate in Radnor Township, Pennsylvania is now the home of Cabrini University.[8]
He left a $120 million estate after his death.[9] There was significant litigation over his domicile for purposes of estate and inheritance tax. The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania held that he was domiciled in Pennsylvania, and the Supreme Court of New Jersey held that he was domiciled in New Jersey, and his estate was required to pay estate tax to both states. The estate sought relief in the United States Supreme Court, but the request for review was denied.[10]
87 of his offspring own a third of the Campbell's Soup company.[11]
In 2012, Dorrance was elected into the New Jersey Hall of Fame.[11]
Personal life
He married Ethel Mallinckrodt on August 18, 1906, in Baltimore, Maryland,[12] and together they had five children.[3]
See also
References
Citations
- ^ a b Cutter 1919, p. 73.
- ^ "HONOR RECIPIENT Alumni". www.sae.net. Sigma Alpha Epsilon Fraternity. Retrieved November 29, 2025.
- ^ a b c d e f g "DR. DORRANCE DEAD; FOOD FIRM'S HEAD; Founder of the Campbell Company and Originator of Canned Soup Industry, EDUCATED AS A CHEMIST Rejected Offers From Three Universities and a College to Join Their Faculties. Worked in Paris Restaurants. Director in Many Corporations". www.nytimes.com. The New York Times. Retrieved November 26, 2025.
- ^ a b c Cutter 1919, p. 74.
- ^ "History of the Campbell Soup Company". Archived from the original on July 16, 2010. Retrieved October 28, 2010.
- ^ a b c d Cox, Jim (2008). Sold on Radio. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company, Inc. pp. 107–109. ISBN 9780786451760. Retrieved November 29, 2025.
- ^ "Dr. John Thompson Dorrance". remembermyjourney.com. webCemeteries. Retrieved November 25, 2025.
- ^ "Main Line History: Test your knowledge of small Main Line colleges". www.mainlinemedianews.com. MediaNews Group. Retrieved November 29, 2025.
- ^ Shea, Martha Esposito; Mathis, Mike (2002). Campbell Soup Company. Charleston, South Carolina: Arcadia Publishing. p. 74. ISBN 0-7385-1058-0. Retrieved November 29, 2025.
- ^ See in re Dorrance's Estate, 309 Pa. 151, 163 A. 303 (1932), cert. denied, 288 U.S. 617 (1933); see also, In re Estate of Dorrance, 115 N.J. Eq. 268, 170 A. 601 (1934).
- ^ a b "JOHN DORRANCE 2012 INDUCTEE - ENTERPRISE". njhalloffame.org. New Jersey Hall of Fame. Retrieved November 28, 2025.
- ^ Sackett, William E. (1917). Scannell's New Jersey First Citizens Biographies and Portraits of the Notable Living Men and Women of New Jersey with Informing Glimpses Into the State's History and Affairs · Volume 1. Paterson, New Jersey: J.J. Scannell. pp. 136–138. Retrieved November 29, 2025.
Sources
- Cutter, William Richard (1919). American Biography: A New Cyclopedia, Volume 5. The American Historical Society, Inc.