Charles F. Kettering
The pragmatic engineer who put America on the electric start, painted it in durable colors, and cooled its homes with Freon.
1876–1958 (age 82)·American inventor, engineer and businessman·Birthday: August 29·The Gilded Age
Biography
Charles Kettering was the archetype of the practical American inventor, a man who believed research was 'organized curiosity.' His first major breakthrough, the electric self-starter, eliminated the dangerous and arduous hand crank, making automobiles accessible to everyone and transforming the industry overnight. As head of research at General Motors for 27 years, his philosophy of targeted innovation led to a flood of improvements: leaded gasoline for higher performance, fast-drying Duco paint that enabled mass production in color, and the first practical diesel engine for locomotives. Beyond the auto world, his work with Thomas Midgley Jr. led to the invention of Freon, making household refrigeration and air conditioning safe and widespread. Kettering held no ivory-tower ideals; he founded Dayton Engineering Laboratories Co. (Delco) and believed in applying science directly to commercial and social problems, leaving a physical imprint on the texture of 20th-century life.
The Gilded Age
1860–1882
Born during or after the Civil War, they built industrial America — the railroads, the steel mills, the first skyscrapers. An era of massive wealth, massive inequality, and the belief that the future belonged to whoever could build it fastest.
Charles was born in 1876, placing them squarely in The Gilded Age. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Charles Was Born
The biggest hits of 1876
Charles's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1876Born
President: Ulysses S. Grant
1881Started school
President: Chester A. Arthur
1889Became a teenager
Eiffel Tower opens in Paris
President: Benjamin Harrison
1892Could drive
President: Benjamin Harrison
1894Could vote
President: Grover Cleveland
1897Turned 21
President: William McKinley
1906Turned 30
San Francisco earthquake devastates the city
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1916Turned 40
The Battle of the Somme claims over a million casualties
President: Woodrow Wilson
1926Turned 50
Robert Goddard launches the first liquid-fueled rocket
President: Calvin Coolidge"Baby Face" — Jan Garber
1936Turned 60
Jesse Owens wins four golds at the Berlin Olympics
Gas: $0.19/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"The Way You Look Tonight" — Fred AstaireBest Picture: The Great Ziegfeld
1946Turned 70
United Nations holds its first General Assembly
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $5,150Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Prisoner of Love" — Perry ComoBest Picture: The Best Years of Our Lives
1956Turned 80
Elvis Presley appears on The Ed Sullivan Show
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $10,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Heartbreak Hotel" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: Around the World in 80 Days
1958Died at 82
NASA founded
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Volare" — Domenico ModugnoBest Picture: Gigi
Key Achievements
- Invented the first practical electric self-starter for automobiles, introduced on the 1912 Cadillac.
- Co-invented Freon, the first non-flammable refrigerant, revolutionizing refrigeration and air conditioning.
- Led the development of fast-drying Duco lacquer, enabling mass production of cars in a variety of colors.
- Held 186 patents across fields including automotive engineering, refrigeration, and lighting.
Did You Know?
The Sloan-Kettering Institute for cancer research is named in part for him, due to his philanthropic support.
He coined the term 'research' as 'a high-hat word for a most simple thing: looking again.'
He helped develop the first incubator for premature infants.
Kettering University in Michigan is named in his honor.
“A problem well stated is a problem half solved.”
