Harry Ward Leonard

Harry Ward Leonard (February 8, 1861 – February 18, 1915) was an electrical engineer and inventor. He is best known for his invention, the Ward Leonard motor control system. Equipment based on this invention remained in service into the 21st century.

Harry was born in Cincinnati, Ohio to Ezra George Leonard and Henrietta Dana Ward. He was the fourth of their six children. He was a great great grandson of American Revolutionary War General Artemas Ward. Although his surname was evidently “Leonard” and not “Ward-Leonard,” he apparently identified himself as either Harry Ward Leonard or H. Ward Leonard. In 1895, Harry was married to Carolyn Good in Geneva, Switzerland.

After graduating from MIT, Mr. Leonard was employed by Thomas Edison to help introduce the Edison central-station electric power distribution system. Within four years, he was promoted to the position of general superintendent of the Western Electric Light Company of Chicago, Illinois. The following year, he established Leonard and Izard, a firm that set up electric railways and generating stations. In 1889, his firm was acquired by Edison and Leonard became the general manager of the Edison operations in the United States and Canada. In 1896, Leonard organized and became president of Ward Leonard Electric as an Edison company in Hoboken, New Jersey. In 1898, Mr. Leonard left the Edison organization and incorporated his own Ward Leonard Electric Company on February 19, 1898 in the village of Bronxville in Westchester County, New York.[2]

While working for Edison, Mr. Leonard patented a number of inventions and he continued developing new ideas throughout his career. He was granted patents for more than 100 inventions of electrical distribution and control systems and related equipment.