Griswold, John A.

Griswold, John A. (Augustus)

(1818–72) manufacturer, U.S. representative, philanthropist; born in Nassau, N.Y. After several commercial ventures, he became head of the Rensselaer Iron Works, the Bessemer Steel Works, and other blast furnaces in Troy, N.Y. An ardent Unionist and advocate of armored ships, he oversaw the manufacture of the iron plates for the Monitor and six more such ships for the Union navy. He was one of a group of Americans who in 1864 acquired the Bessemer patents from England, enabling significant developments in America's iron and steel industry. Elected mayor of Troy in 1855, he served in the U.S. House of Representatives (Dem., N.Y.; 1863–67).

The Cambridge Dictionary of American Biography, by John S. Bowman. Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1995. Reproduced with permission.