Diverse Talent, Genuine Service, Great Contributions…A Life Well-Lived

Spring was a long time in coming this year, and needing to anticipate that special transition, I embarked on a trip to Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square, PA to see the Orchid Show with a friend. I had been to Longwood before to see the flowers in full bloom, but this time it was for the orchids…the unique and special varieties on display long before the full-blooming Spring. Well we saw the nearly 5,000 orchids of many varieties, learned of the delicate dance to grow them, and the rare blue poppies which grow at this time of year.

The highlight for me, however, was not the orchids, but the visit to the Peirce du Pont house, learning of the man, Pierre S. du Pont, an extraordinary person with many talents and contributions and I was reflective on a life well-lived and his many contributions to our world. He was born in a house overlooking the Brandywine Creek, just north of Wilmington, Delaware. He graduated from MIT in 1890 with a degree in chemistry and he had many passions, including his love of gardening and service to the world. He became the Assistant Superintendent of the Brandywine Mills where he developed with his cousin, the first American smokeless gun powder.

Most of the 1890s he spent working with the management at a steel firm partly owned by DuPont. Pierre served as DuPont’s president until 1919. Pierre gave the DuPont company a modern management structure and modern accounting policies and made the concept of return on investment primary. During World War I, the company grew very quickly due to advance payments on Allied munition contracts. He also established many other DuPont interests in other industries.

Pierre du Pont was a significant figure in the success of General Motors, building a sizeable personal investment in the company as well as supporting the investment in the automobile company. When Pierre retired from its Board of Directors, GM was the largest company in the world. Pierre retired from DuPont’s board in 1940. He also served on the Delaware State Board of Education and donated millions to Delaware’s public schools, financing the replacement of Delaware’s dilapidated Negro schools.

A man ahead of his time and in service to equal education. Pierre traveled around the world and attended many of the world’s fairs and expositions, influenced by his learning of the latest technology and architecture, including fountain and water pump technology. In addition, he traveled to the prettiest gardens/horticulture around the world, i.e. England, Italy, South America, the Caribbean, California, and Hawaii. In the meantime he made his mark on Corporate America and this brought him great wealth. With all his wealth he felt responsibility to education, healthcare and most importantly, sharing the environment with the public.

At the age of 36, Pierre bought the Peirce farm and soon began creating what would become Longwood Gardens, originally his personal estate with its beautiful gardens, fountains, and conservatory which he built and then opened to the public. He followed no grand plan; rather, he built the gardens piecemeal, focusing on Italian and French influence, special fountains and displays, patents for practical household items like towel warmers.

Pierre was a bachelor until age 45. He married his cousin Alice Belin in 1915 after the death of his mother, and had no children. Along with Alice, he was able to create a place for the public to enjoy as well as continue to entertain his family and friends at Longwood Gardens. Pierre du Pont, an industrialist, conservationist, farmer, designer, impresario, philanthropist and man with a good sense of fun and humor, made enduring contributions which paved the way for other generations. Talk about a ‘Life Well-Lived.” He died on April 4, 1954.

This is a wonderful example of a life well-lived, a testament to how one person in the world can make a difference for so many. If you get the chance, visit Longwood Gardens at any time of the year, you won’t be disappointed.  https://longwoodgardens.org/history