Notable people · Business · Inventor
James Ward Packard
Warren, Ohio-born engineer who, with his brother William, founded Packard Electric (1890) and built the first Packard automobile (1899) after a dispute with Alexander Winton over car quality. The car company moved to Detroit in 1903. He died in Cleveland and is buried in Warren.
At a glance
- Born
- 1863-11-05
- Died
- 1928-03-20
- Education
- Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA, 1880-1884, Mechanical engineering
- Known as
- Business, Inventor
- Organizations
- Packard Electric, Packard Motor Car Company
Life story
James Ward Packard was born in Warren in 1863 and studied mechanical engineering at Lehigh University from 1880 to 1884.
In 1890 he and his brother William started Packard Electric in Warren, making carbon arc lamps. A 1899 car followed; the firm was incorporated as the Ohio Automobile Company in 1900 and renamed Packard Motor Car Company in 1902.
The car company moved to Detroit in 1903. James gave land for Packard Park in Warren and paid for a laboratory at Lehigh (done in 1929). Packard Electric was bought by General Motors in 1932.
He died at the Cleveland Clinic in 1928 after cancer surgery in 1926, and is buried in Warren.
Timeline
- 1863-11-05: Born in Warren (Warren, OH) source
- 1884: Finishes at Lehigh University (Bethlehem, PA) source
- 1890: Co-founds Packard Electric (Warren, OH) source
- 1899: First Packard automobile (Warren, OH) source
- 1900: Incorporated as Ohio Automobile Company (Warren, OH) source
- 1902: Renamed Packard Motor Car Company (Warren, OH) source
- 1903: Company moves to Detroit (Detroit, MI) source
- 1928-03-20: Dies at Cleveland Clinic Hospital (Cleveland, OH) source
What James is known for
- Co-founded Packard Electric Company, Warren, 1890
- Built the first Packard automobile, 1899; Packard Motor Car Company incorporated 1902, moved to Detroit 1903
- Donated land for Packard Park, Warren
- Packard Electric (1890)
- Packard automobile (1899)
- 1927 Patek Philippe commission
Inventions and firsts
Honors and things named for them
- Packard Park, Warren
- James Ward Packard Laboratory, Lehigh University (1929)
Family
- brother: William Doud Packard
- wife: Elizabeth Gillmer
- sister: Alaska P. Davidson
Places in Ohio to see
- Packard Park (park)
Warren, Trumbull County ZIP 44483 (approximate) · Warren · Trumbull County · official page - Oakwood Cemetery (grave)
860 Niles Rd SE, Warren, Trumbull County ZIP 44483 · Warren · Trumbull County · official page
Ohio places
Where James Ward Packard was born, lived, worked and is remembered, with the ZIP code, town and county pages for each.
- Born: Warren, Trumbull County ZIP 44481 · Warren · Trumbull County
- Worked: Warren, Trumbull County ZIP 44481 · Warren · Trumbull County
- Buried: Warren (Oakwood Cemetery), Trumbull County ZIP 44483 · Warren · Trumbull County
Further reading
Sources
Confidence. High: the main facts were confirmed in sources we opened.
- James Ward Packard (Wikipedia, pointer) dates, Warren/Cleveland, companies, Lehigh, Packard Park
- James Ward Packard (Find a Grave) birth 1863-11-05 Warren, death 1928-03-20 Cleveland, Oakwood Cemetery Warren
- Alexander Winton (Wikipedia, pointer) Packard-Winton dissatisfaction story