Bios: RICHARD T. BROWN, 20th Century History of New Castle and Lawrence County Pennsylvania and Representative Citizens
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RICHARD T. BROWN,
[p. 754] superintendent of the Standard Tube Company, of
Ellwood City, which is the largest concern of its kind in the world, has
been identified with this enterprise since its inception. Mr. Brown,
nevertheless, is a comparatively young man, having been born October 8,
1862, and is a native of Erie County, Pennsylvania. His parents were
Thomas R. and Anna (Jordan) Brown.
The father of Mr. Brown was born in Scotland and when he first came to
America he settled in Massachusetts, where he engaged in ship-building
and construction work. Later, he came to Erie County and became
interested in dealing in live stock. Both he and wife died in Erie
County. They had the following children: Edward who served as a soldier
in the Confederate Army during the Civil War; John, who served as a
soldier in the Union Army and later settled in the far West; William and
Richard T.
Richard T. Brown was educated in the common and high schools of Erie
County and then went to sailing on the lakes and subsequently learned
the machinist trade, following it until he came to Ellwood City, where
he became an assistant to Mr. Stiefel in 1895, who was the first man to
produce a seamless tube from a solid ingot. Mr. Brown served in the
capacity of assistant superintendent for two years and in 1897, when the
Ellwood Seamless Tube Company built a branch at Greenville, Pa., Mr.
Brown took charge and continued there for two years. When a start was
made in the erection of the Standard Tube Company's great works, in
1899, Mr. Brown was with Mr. Stiefel when the latter broke the first
ground, and he has been superintendent of this extensive plant ever
since. To realize the great responsibility thus entailed it must be
remembered that this plant has been enlarged and at the present time is
the largest seamless tube plant in the world; that its capital stock is
$6,000,000; that it produces seamless tubing from the smallest to seven
inches in diameter, the products being used by locomotive and boiler
builders, for mechanical purposes and for high pressure steam pipes, and
also for Government requirements. The capacity of this plant is 350 tons
a day and the works cover an area of nine acres. Employment is given to
2,200 men.
The Standard Tube Company is a subsidiary part of the United States
Steel Corporation, of which R. C. Stiefel is general manager. It was
originally an independent plant and was purchased and transferred to the
National Tube Company in 1901, and in the same year it was incorporated
as a part of the United States Steel Corporation, the business being
conducted under the style of the Standard Tube Company.
Mr. Brown was united in marriage with Anna Johnston, who is a daughter
of Robert and Ellen Johnston, of Chautauqua County, New York. They had
two children born to them: Leeanna, who is deceased, and Catherine M.,
who is the wife of A. M. Jones, who is secretary and treasurer of the
Glen Manufacturing Company, of Ellwood City. Mr. Brown is a
thirty-second degree Mason, a Knight of Pythias and an Elk. In politics,
he is an ardent Republican, and has been a strong supporter of President
Roosevelt and his policies. He is a man of engaging personality and is
recognized as one of Ellwood City's active and useful citizens.
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20th Century History of New Castle and Lawrence County Pennsylvania and
Representative Citizens Hon. Aaron L. Hazen Richmond-Arnold Publishing
Company, Chicago, Ill., 1908
Updated: 14 Dec 2001