George Crompton

Life & Legacy

George Crompton (23 March 1829 – 29 December 1886) was an American inventor, manufacturer, and businessman and the son of William Crompton, an inventor. He is best known for his invention, perfection, and popularization of the Crompton Loom, a fancy loom that could reach maximum speeds of eighty-five picks per second, nearly twice the speed of its most efficient predecessors. Crompton Loom Works, located in his hometown of Worcester, Massachusetts, aided in the Civil War effort to provide uniforms and blankets for the U.S. Army. Crompton's looms did have competition from foreign innovations, yet when brought to the Paris Exposition Universelle (1867) his products won a silver medal. His looms were also present at the Philadelphia Centennial Exposition of 1876. From these two events, the Crompton Loom gained popularity and became famous throughout the manufacturing circles. Crompton was also quite involved in his town of Worcester; he was a member of the common council (1860–1861) and held the office of alderman (1863–1864), in addition to running for mayor unsuccessfully in 1871. When he died, Worcester announced that it had lost the man who helped the town transform from a "pretty New England town" to an industrial city. Crompton was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame in 2007 due to the large-scale impact of his loom.