Fred Lennon

Background

Fred Lennon was born in Providence, Rhode Island, to Patrick and Catherine Lennon, as the youngest of their nine children.

Career

Known for avoiding attention, Forbes magazine once described him as "the shiest billionaire". Moving the company to Solon, Ohio, it steadily expanded into a large, international manufacturing corporation. Under Lennon’s leadership, Swagelok gradually became a Fortune 500 Privately Held Company, producing thousands of products, and holding over United States$1 billion in assets and employing a staff of 3,000.

In leading the company for over 50 years, Lennon never missed a day of work.

Lennon was active in, and contributed much to, a variety of charitable and nonprofit organizations in Ohio. He created the Lennon Foundation, which between its establishment in 1965 and its dissolution in 1995, donated millions to a variety of schools, nonprofit foundations and charities.

Following his death in 1998, The Lennon Charitable Trust was created to honor him posthumously, and has continued to fund and assist schools and charities in the region. Wikipedia cites the Foundation as a major funding source for the construction and maintenance of the Vatican Advanced Technology Telescope (VATT), located near Stafford, Arizona, United States of America. As part of Swagelok"s in 1997, Lennon rented out the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame and Science Center for all Swagelok employees and their families.

Achievements

• He was the founder and chairman of Swagelok Company. He was a founder and chairman of The Ashbrook Center for Public Affairs at Ashland University, and president of Gilmour Academy in Gates Mills.

Connections

Partner:

Cullen B. Crawford