Corliss, George Henry

Corliss, George Henry (1817–88) inventor, manufacturer; born in Easton, N.Y. Educated in local schools and at Castleton Academy, Vt., he opened a boot store in Greenwich, N.Y., in 1842. Two years later he went to work for a steam engine manufacturer in Providence, R.I. He designed many improvements—in particular, a governor to control valves—that led to greater efficiency and economy of operation in steam engines. In 1848 he established his own company to make the products of his inventiveness; the Corliss Steam Engine Co. built many of the country's largest engines. His 1,400-horsepower Corliss Engine powered the Philadelphia Centennial Exposition of 1876, driving all the exhibit machinery during six months of continuous operation.