John T. Dorrance facts for kids
John Thompson Dorrance (1873 – 1930) was a clever American chemist. He is famous for inventing condensed soup while working at the Campbell Soup Company. This invention changed how soup was made and sold. Later, Dorrance became the president of the Campbell Soup Company, leading it from 1914 until 1930.
Contents
Early Life and Big Ideas
John Thompson Dorrance was born on November 11, 1873. His hometown was Bristol, Pennsylvania. He studied hard and earned a Bachelor of Science degree. This was from the famous Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
After that, he went to Germany to continue his studies. In 1897, he received his PhD degree. This was from the University of Göttingen.
Inventing Condensed Soup
When Dorrance returned to the United States, he started working. He joined the Joseph Campbell Preserve Company. This company was owned by his uncle. His starting pay was $7.50 a week. He even had to bring his own lab gear!
While studying in Europe, Dorrance enjoyed eating soup often. He had a big idea for his uncle's company. He wanted to find a way to can soup. This would let people enjoy it easily at home.
In 1897, he made his amazing invention: condensed soup. He found a way to remove most of the water from the soup. This made the cans much lighter. Lighter cans cost less to transport to stores. The company could then sell the soup for only 10 cents a can. This new product was a huge hit! His uncle was so happy, he raised Dorrance's pay to $9.00 a week.
Dorrance also helped design the famous red and white label. This classic design is still on Campbell's soup cans today.
Leading Campbell's Soup
In 1900, Dorrance became the vice president of the company. It was still called the Joseph Campbell Preserve Company then. That same year, Campbell's soups won a gold medal. This was at the Exposition Universelle in Paris. You can still see this gold medal on soup cans today!
New Products and Leadership
Dorrance noticed that factory workers had extra time. They were waiting for soup to cook. To keep them busy, he created a new product. This was canned pork and beans. It became another popular item for the company.
In 1914, Dorrance became the president of the company. It was now known as the Campbell Soup Company. He led the company for many years. John Thompson Dorrance passed away on September 22, 1930. He died in Camden, New Jersey.
