William Henry Singer

William Henry Singer was born on October 2, 1835 in Pittsburg, the son of George and Elizabeth Singer who had moved there from Greensburg, PA. His father was one of the most prominent furniture dealers in the Pittsburg area. His mother, Elizabeth Fleigher was a descendant of one of the oldest families in the state.

He was educated in the public schools and was a diligent student but was too eager to start a career to attend college. He first obtained a position as an apprentice with the steel firm Schoenger & Co. In 1858 he became a dominant partner in the firm of Singer, Nimick & Co. along with his older brother John and the Nimick brothers Alexander and William. His other brother George was treasurer. He was responsible for several technical developments, continuing a company tradition of innovation in cast-crucible-steel manufacturing. He was an inventor of many labor saving processes in the manufacture of steel and was the author of a number of professional publications relating to the process.

In 1879 when crucible-steel was determined to be inferior to the Bessemer process steel, he organized another company in order to raise capital to build a Bessemer plant. This company was named the Pittsburgh Bessemer Steel Co. and he became its President. In 1883 it was absorbed by Andrew Carnegie and William accepted his payment in Carnegie Brothers Co. stock and became a director in the company.

He died on September 4, 1909 due to injuries from an automobile accident while visiting his daughter and son in law at Watch Hill, RI. The automobile in which he was a passenger was driven off the road into a ditch by an unpredictable horse and farm wagon. William was the only casualty of the incident