Frank Seiberling: Difference between revisions

'''Franklin Augustus''' “Frank”"'''Frank'''" '''Seiberling''' (October 6, 1859 – August 11, 1955), also known as '''F.A. Seiberling''', was an American innovator and entrepreneur best known for co-founding the [[Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company]] in 1898 and the [[Seiberling Rubber Company]] in 1921. He also built [[Stan Hywet Hall]], a Tudor Revival mansion, now a [[National Historic Landmark]] and [[historic house museum]] in [[Akron, Ohio]].

In June 1911, Seiberling announced that he was financing an attempt at a transatlantic airship flight, to be headed by [[Melvin Vaniman]].<ref name="AirFunding" /> In July 1912, the airship [[Akron (1911 airship)|''Akron'']] exploded, and Vaniman and his crew were killed.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1912/07/03/archives/news-stuns-seiberling-financial-backer-of-vaniman-enterprise-made.html|title=NEWSNews STUNSStuns SEIBERLING.Seiberling; Financial Backer of Vaniman Enterprise Made Balloon at His Factory.|date=1912-07-03|work=The New York Times|access-date=2019-08-24|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331|quote=''}} – Akron'' was partly salvaged in 1982 ([http://www.numa.net/expeditions/akron.html Akron expedition] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110808143650/http://www.numa.net/expeditions/akron.html |date=August 8, 2011 }} on the [[National Underwater and Marine Agency]] website)}}</ref>

During his lifetime, Seiberling used his fortune and influence to create fair housing, build a hospital, improve transportation both locally and nationally, preserve green space for the community's enjoyment and fund countless arts and culture programs and organizations. Seiberling believed true prosperity was gained through the enlightenment and improvement of every citizen. A 1937 Akron Beacon Journal articleeditorial, statedopined, "One reason we all like the Seiberlings is because they never went 'high hat' on Akron; perhaps no other local family ever enjoyed greater prosperity and achievement . . . yet they were never so busy as to turn a disinterested ear to any pleader for Akron's future or civic welfare . . . No man in Akron ever had a broader conception of Akron's civic problems than Frank Seiberling."<ref>{{cite news |editor1-last=Knight |editor1-first=John S. |title=The Editors Notebook |work=The Akron Beacon Journal |date=October 12, 1937 |page=4 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-akron-beacon-journal-frank-seiberlin/144348724/}}</ref>

Seiberling was born on October 6, 1859, in Western Star (present day Norton), Ohio, a community a few miles southwest of Akron, in [[Summit County, Ohio]]. He was the second of nine children born to John Frederick and Catherine Miller Seiberling. Seiberling had one brother and seven sisters. In 1887, he married Gertrude Ferguson Penfield, who was later to serve (1919–1921) as president of the [[National Federation of Music Clubs]].<ref>''The Town Crier'' (Seattle), v.15, no.16, Apr. 17, 1920. pp. [[:File:The Town Crier, v.15, no.16, Apr. 17, 1920 - DPLA - 6dd64b6777a84c0ea657d061ab2bad18 (page 3).jpg|3]], [[:File:The Town Crier, v.15, no.16, Apr. 17, 1920 - DPLA - 6dd64b6777a84c0ea657d061ab2bad18 (page 12).jpg|12]]</ref> The couple had seven children, three girls (Irene, Virginia, Grace Wenonah) and four boys (Fredrick, Willard, Penfield, and Franklin). Their youngest daughter Grace Wenonah died of bronchial pneumonia at only 18 months old. Seiberling died in Akron on August 11, 1955, of pneumonia, and is buried in Glendale Cemetery.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Cemeteries of Northeast Ohio: Stones, Symbols & Stories|last=Vigil|first=Vicki Blum|publisher=Gray & Co|year=2007|isbn=9781598510256|location=Cleveland|oclc=156816907}}</ref>