Eleuthere Irenee du Pont

The Du Pont Company was established in 1802 near Wilmington, Delaware, by a French immigrant, Eleuthére Irénée du Pont de Nemours, to produce black powder. E. I. du Pont had been a student of Antoine Lavoisier, the father of modern chemistry, and he brought to America some new ideas about the manufacture of consistently reliable gun and blasting powder. His product ignited when it was supposed to, in a manner consistent with expectations. This was greatly appreciated by the citizens of the fledgling republic, including Thomas Jefferson, who wrote thanking du Pont for the quality of his powder, which was being used to clear the land at Monticello.

Many other heroes of early America owed their success, and their lives, to the dependable quality of DuPont's first product.  Since E. I. du Pont set up his "manufactory" in Delaware, the company has evolved far from its original business while retaining the commitment to consistent high quality.

The success of any business over a long period of time hinges on the willingness and ability of the enterprise to adapt to changing circumstances. Perhaps because of DuPont's foundation in science, with its emphasis on discovery, change is very much a part of the culture of DuPont. The company's ability for transforming  "reinventing" itself is an important reason why it is still a major force after almost 200 years.