Swift, Gustavus Franklin

Swift, Gustavus Franklin

(born June 24, 1839, West Sandwich, Mass., U.S.—died March 29, 1903, Chicago, Ill.) U.S. meatpacker. Swift started as a butcher's helper at age 14 and by 1859 was operating his own butcher shop. In 1872 he became the partner of a Boston meat dealer; three years later he transferred their cattle-buying operations to Chicago. Believing profits would increase if fresh meat rather than live cattle were shipped from Chicago, he had a refrigerator car designed and made his first shipment in 1877. With his brother he formed Swift & Co. (1885). During his 18 years as president, its capitalization rose from $300,000 to $25 million. Like his rivals Philip D. Armour and Nelson Morris, Swift was a leader in byproduct utilization, entering related businesses such as soap, glue, fertilizer, and margarine.

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Swift, Gustavus Franklin (1839–1903) meat packer; born near Sandwich, Mass. He worked in the butcher trade from age 14 in his brother's shop. By 1859 he was purchasing, slaughtering, dressing, and peddling his own steer to Cape Cod residents. His reputation as a shrewd judge of beef grew. In 1872 he became partners with a renowned Boston meat dealer. As a buyer, Swift followed the cattle market, moving steadily west until he got to Chicago (1875). He revolutionized the meatpacking industry by shipping east dressed beef instead of live steer (1877). His partnership dissolved, he independently hired an engineer to invent a refrigerator car for summer shipments. In 1885 he incorporated as Swift & Company and pioneered in the use of waste products to make glue, oleomargarine, soap, and fertilizer. The company expanded internationally and by 1903 was worth more than $25 million.