Roy J. Carver*

Roy Carver was born in Preemption, Illinois, in 1909 and was one of four children. His father drilled wheels, sold pumps, and served as a Mercer County, Illinois, supervisor to support his family.

Carver's early jobs included a paper route and working at a Ford Motor Company lab after school. The straight-A student was awarded a four-year scholarship to the University of Illinois. He graduated with a degree in chemistry in 1934 and began work as a technical assistant to Illinois state purchasing officials. One of the products he evaluated was self-priming pumps. Convinced he could build one better than any other on the market, he quit his job and invested his small savings into building his version.

With the onset of World War II, Carver received his first large order from Great Britain. When the United States entered the war, the U.S. government also purchased his pumps. Later, he formed Carver Foundry Products, introducing new European techniques to the U.S. market.

In 1956, he purchased the U.S. rights to produce Bandag retread tires. The quality of his retread tires upgraded the standards of the entire industry.