Henry Rowan

Henry Rowan was born to Dr. Henry M. Rowan Sr. and Margaret Frances Boyd Rowan in 1923 (coincidentally the same year the school which now carries his name was founded). After serving his country as a bomber pilot in World War II, Rowan graduated from Massachusetts Institute of Technology with honors with a degree in electrical engineering. Henry designed and built the world's first induction furnace in his home's garage in 1953 with the help of his wife. Expanding from this first induction furnace Rowan created Inductotherm Industries Inc. which has since grown to include 80 subsidiaries throughout North America, South America, Europe, India, Asia and Australia. Today, there are more than 15,000 melting installations around the globe.

Philanthropy

In spring 1992, Henry Rowan and his wife pledged $100 million to Glassboro State College, which has been renamed Rowan University in his honor. At the time it was the largest gift to a public college in the history of higher education. The school also has an engineering building named after him. Much of his philanthropic influences come from the death of his two sons due to a rare, debilitating muscle disease.

Personal

Rowan competed in the 1992 Olympic Sailing trials in Miami, but failed to qualify.

External links

* [http://www.rufoundation.org/recognition/profilesingiving/rowan/ Henry Rowan]
* [http://rowanmagazine.com/assets/pdfs/1997/spring/henryrowan.pdf Henry Rowan featured in Rowan Magazine]
* [http://www.inductotherm.com/history/history.htm inductotherm History]

References

* [http://www.rowanmagazine.com/assets/pdfs/1997/spring/henryrowan.pdf Rowan Magazine]