Charles Thomas Parry

Background

Charles Thomas Parry was born on September 15, 1821 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. He was the son of Samuel and Mary (Hoffline) Parry.

Career

At the age of fifteen, Charles Thomas Parry was employed as an apprentice in the pattern shop of the Baldwin Locomotive Works, and after completing his apprenticeship spent several years in the drawing room. He was then advanced through every grade of mechanical labor until 1855, when he was appointed the company's general superintendent in charge of locomotive construction. In 1867 he became a member of M. Baird & Company, the firm that succeeded Matthias W. Baldwin in the ownership of the locomotive works. Upon the retirement of Matthew Baird in 1873, the firm became known as Burnham, Parry, Williams & Company, which remained its title until after Parry's death. Parry grew up with the locomotive industry, for the Baldwin Locomotive Works had scarcely produced fifty locomotives when he commenced his apprenticeship. His abilities attracted the attention of his superior officers and his promotion was rapid. Nineteen years after entering upon his apprenticeship, he had become the plant's chief executive in charge of locomotive construction.

His first major problem in this position involved the installation of a system of scientific management to replace the rule-of-thumb production methods that prevailed throughout industry in that period. He installed labor-saving devices, commenced having complete drawings of locomotives prepared in advance of their construction, and in general brought the shop methods under which locomotive production was conducted to a much higher level of efficiency. One of his partners attributed "a good deal of the prosperity of the works" to Parry's individual efforts. He was very successful in adjusting his employees' grievances and always endeavored to better their working conditions. He was primarily responsible for the introduction of the piece-work system which was well established prior to his death and more than fifty years later was still in operation in its original form. This wage-payment method, in the opinion of an official of the company, "has been mainly responsible through all these years for the lack of labor troubles for which The Baldwin Locomotive Works has been noted".

Parry's labor policies were appreciated by the employees, who joined heartily in celebrating the semi-centennial of his connection with the concern. Parry had few outside interests. He was one of the original founders of Beach Haven, New Jersey, and paid certain of the village development costs, such as the construction of the Protestant Episcopal Church. He traveled in Europe extensively and about ten years prior to his death was engaged by the Russian government to supervise its locomotive construction program, forty locomotives for Russia were built at the Baldwin Works. Charles Thomas Parry died at Beach Haven in his sixty-sixth year on July 18, 1887.

Achievements

• Charles Thomas Parry was a distiguished manufacturer. He installed labor saving devices and was responsible for the introduction of the piece-work system into locomotive. He was also known as director of the National Bank of the Republic.

Membership

Charles Thomas Parry was a member of the Franklin Institute and for one year a member of the board of managers.

Connections

Charles Thomas Parry had a wife and three children: a son and two daughters.

Father:

Samuel Parry

Mother:

Mary (Hoffline) Parry