Newcomen Society of the United States facts for kids
.jpg) |
|
| Motto | Actorum memores simul affectamus agenda. (We look back but go forward.) |
|---|---|
| Formation | 1923 |
| Dissolved | 2007 |
| Legal status | defunct |
| Purpose | Business and industrial history |
| Headquarters | Exton, PA |
|
Formerly called
|
The Newcomen Society in North America |
The Newcomen Society of the United States was a special group that studied and celebrated important achievements in American business. It was like a club that wrote over 1,600 stories about different companies and schools. These stories were shared with libraries and members. The society closed down in 2007.
Contents
The Newcomen Society's Origins
This American society was inspired by the Newcomen Society in Great Britain. The British group started in London in 1920. It was a "learned society," meaning a group of experts who wanted to study the history of engineering and technology.
Both groups were named after Thomas Newcomen (1663-1729). He was a British inventor. In 1712, he created the atmospheric steam engine. This machine was first used to pump water out of mines. Newcomen's invention helped start the Industrial Revolution. He is often called the "Father of the Industrial Revolution."
The Newcomen Society in America
The Newcomen Society of the United States first began as The Newcomen Society in North America. It was started in New York City in 1923. Leonor F. Loree, a famous railroad leader, and other important business people founded it.
The first members were chosen from leaders in business, industry, education, and other fields. Their main goals were to:
- Protect and promote the American system where businesses are mostly free from government control.
- Honor companies and groups that showed success in this system.
- Publish stories about the history and achievements of these businesses.
- Encourage new research and writing about business history. They did this through awards and grants.
Championing American Business
The Newcomen Society in North America started soon after communism became strong in the Soviet Union. The society strongly supported American capitalism, which is an economic system based on private ownership. They also celebrated entrepreneurship, which means starting and running new businesses.
In 1933, Charles Penrose took over leadership of the American society. He was a co-founder and a friend of Leonor F. Loree. Penrose was an engineer. He didn't take a salary for his work at Newcomen. Under his strong leadership, the society became very important and respected.
Growth and Influence
Penrose started local committees and actively invited business leaders, educators, and bankers to join. The number of members grew quickly to 12,000. In comparison, the British chapter had fewer than 500 members.
In the late 1940s, Penrose built the society's main office in Exton, Pennsylvania. It had a large library with 2,700 books. There was also a museum with old model steam engines. The campus also had offices, guest houses, and a printing shop. This shop, called Newcomen Publications, Inc., printed the society's history booklets. These booklets had special drawings and old engravings.
Charles Penrose seemed to know the top leaders of almost every major company in the United States. He made Newcomen an important part of their lives. He was known for his strong personality. He managed every detail of the society's work. This included editing and publishing about 55 history booklets each year. He also led 60 to 70 luncheons and dinners annually across the country. At these events, authors would give speeches about their histories.
Companies being honored usually paid for the expenses. They also bought over 12,000 copies of the booklets to improve their reputation. In its best years, many important people in American commerce, manufacturing, and academia belonged to The Newcomen Society in North America. In 1952, Time Magazine called Penrose "a combination of P. T. Barnum and the Archbishop of Canterbury." Penrose once said:
- "We are attempting to hold up to America the vision and the courage and the hard work and abiding faith -- make that a capital F -- of the men who years ago created the America which we have inherited."
Charles Penrose, Sr. died suddenly in 1958. His son, Charles Penrose, Jr., became the chairman. By 1981, The Newcomen Society in North America had 17,000 members.
The Society's Decline
After Charles Penrose, Jr. retired, the number of members started to drop. Even though the society was meant to promote engineering and technology, its old-fashioned ways seemed out of date. This was especially true in the age of the internet and video conferencing.
Newcomen sold its campus in Exton and its valuable items. Its collection of old model engines was sold at an auction in 2001. On December 17, 2007, the leaders announced that The Newcomen Society of the United States would close. Over its 84-85 years, it honored more than 2,500 organizations.
The historical records of the Newcomen Society are now kept at The National Museum of Industrial History in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. In 2008, the only active local chapter became its own group, called the Newcomen Society of Alabama.
