who was arthur j schmitt?
Engineer, Inventor, Entrepreneur, Visionary, Philanthropist
Born in 1893 in Chicago, Arthur began inventing as a teen-ager. Planes, cars, radios, and electronics were his passion. His curiosity, ingenuity, business acumen and vision led him to create his own company that evolved into Amphenol, now a multi-billion dollar, global manufacturer of electrical, electronic and fiber optic interconnect products, employing over 90,000 people across the world.
At the age of 48, he created his own philanthropic Foundation to share the wealth of his success. In 1943, in response to WWII, he founded a technology institute (Fournier Institute of Technology) believing that skilled, innovative engineers who also developed leadership skills rooted in character, integrity and morality could combat the evils of WWII. Though the Fournier Institue no longer exists, the Foundation continues in this spirit supporting a diverse range of students through scholarship and leadership programming that teach and inspire students to change the world for good.
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"Thoughtful people everywhere are seeking solutions to the problems...which will be the task of this generation and perhaps several generations to come...I believe that the basic solution rests in sound industrial leadership predicated on ability, knowledge and a sense of moral values...while all men are born free and equal, the solutions to man-made problems depend on knowledge, character and enlightened leadership." Arthur J Schmitt, 1943
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