Charles Campbell Worthington
Encyclopedia
Charles Campbell Worthington (also known as C.C. Worthington; January 1854 – 1944) was an American
industrialist whose efforts were in part responsible for the foundation of the Professional Golfers Association
. He invented the first commercially successful gang lawnmower for fairway maintenance.
. In 1840, his father invented the first direct-acting steam pump.
A graduate of the School of Mines
at Columbia University
, Worthington entered the pump business and took over the Worthington Company upon his father's death in 1880. During his tenure, he contributed hundreds of important improvements in pumps, compressors, and other machines.
As business thrived, plants were open in many Europe
an cities, and many honors were bestowed at Expositions. Perhaps his greatest achievement was during the insurrection
in Anglo-Egyptian Sudan
, when the British Army
faced certain defeat unless water could be carried to them across 200 miles (321.9 km) of desert
. Worthington came to the rescue and was knight
ed by the throne.
He was a director of banks and corporations and a patron of the Opera and Philharmonic Societies.
In 1899, C.C. Worthington sold his interests in the Worthington Pump Co., which became the International Steam Pump Company, and by 1900, he "retired" at age 46.
In the early 1900s, he took up summer residence at Shawnee-on-Delaware, where he created Buckwood Park and then, designed and built Buckwood Inn, a summer resort. Surrounding the Inn he created the Shawnee Country Club with its famous golf course
. One of the offshoots of Worthington's golf hobby was the formation of the Professional Golfers Association
(PGA), brought about through his efforts.
Because maintenance of the fairways was so important, he invented the first commercially successful gang lawn mower
. Worthington's first gang mower had three moving wheels and was pulled by a horse. By 1919, Worthington had designed a tractor to pull the mower. Worthington mowers then became the standard for golf course maintenance. In 1923, Worthington's grandson, Ross Sawtelle, adapted the mower for use in military airfield maintenance, and the mowers were produced all during World War II
. So great was the company's excellence of production, they were awarded the Army-Navy ‘E’ Award
with stars.
In 1945, the mower company was apparently sold to Jacobsen, though the plant in Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania
continued to produce mowers for homeowners as well as golf courses.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
industrialist whose efforts were in part responsible for the foundation of the Professional Golfers Association
Professional Golfers Association
Professional Golfers' Association, , is the usual term for a professional association in men's golf. It is often abbreviated to PGA...
. He invented the first commercially successful gang lawnmower for fairway maintenance.
Biography
He was born in Brooklyn, New York in January 1854, son of Sara Newton and Henry Rossiter WorthingtonHenry Rossiter Worthington
Henry Rossiter Worthington was an American mechanical engineer. He had several inventions leading to the perfection of the direct steam pump , patented the duplex steam pump , and built the first duplex waterworks engine, widely adopted and used for more than 75 years...
. In 1840, his father invented the first direct-acting steam pump.
A graduate of the School of Mines
School of Mines
A school of mines is a term used for many engineering schools established in the 18th and 19th centuries that originally focused on mining engineering and applied science...
at Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
, Worthington entered the pump business and took over the Worthington Company upon his father's death in 1880. During his tenure, he contributed hundreds of important improvements in pumps, compressors, and other machines.
As business thrived, plants were open in many Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an cities, and many honors were bestowed at Expositions. Perhaps his greatest achievement was during the insurrection
Insurgency
An insurgency is an armed rebellion against a constituted authority when those taking part in the rebellion are not recognized as belligerents...
in Anglo-Egyptian Sudan
Anglo-Egyptian Sudan
Anglo-Egyptian Sudan referred to the manner by which Sudan was administered between 1899 and 1956, when it was a condominium of Egypt and the United Kingdom.-Union with Egypt:...
, when the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
faced certain defeat unless water could be carried to them across 200 miles (321.9 km) of desert
Desert
A desert is a landscape or region that receives an extremely low amount of precipitation, less than enough to support growth of most plants. Most deserts have an average annual precipitation of less than...
. Worthington came to the rescue and was knight
Knight
A knight was a member of a class of lower nobility in the High Middle Ages.By the Late Middle Ages, the rank had become associated with the ideals of chivalry, a code of conduct for the perfect courtly Christian warrior....
ed by the throne.
He was a director of banks and corporations and a patron of the Opera and Philharmonic Societies.
In 1899, C.C. Worthington sold his interests in the Worthington Pump Co., which became the International Steam Pump Company, and by 1900, he "retired" at age 46.
In the early 1900s, he took up summer residence at Shawnee-on-Delaware, where he created Buckwood Park and then, designed and built Buckwood Inn, a summer resort. Surrounding the Inn he created the Shawnee Country Club with its famous golf course
Golf course
A golf course comprises a series of holes, each consisting of a teeing ground, fairway, rough and other hazards, and a green with a flagstick and cup, all designed for the game of golf. A standard round of golf consists of playing 18 holes, thus most golf courses have this number of holes...
. One of the offshoots of Worthington's golf hobby was the formation of the Professional Golfers Association
Professional Golfers' Association of America
Founded in 1916, the Professional Golfers' Association of America is headquartered in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, and is made up of more than 28,000 men and women golf professional members...
(PGA), brought about through his efforts.
Because maintenance of the fairways was so important, he invented the first commercially successful gang lawn mower
Lawn mower
A lawn mower is a machine that uses a revolving blade or blades to cut a lawn at an even length.Lawn mowers employing a blade that rotates about a vertical axis are known as rotary mowers, while those employing a blade assembly that rotates about a horizontal axis are known as cylinder or reel...
. Worthington's first gang mower had three moving wheels and was pulled by a horse. By 1919, Worthington had designed a tractor to pull the mower. Worthington mowers then became the standard for golf course maintenance. In 1923, Worthington's grandson, Ross Sawtelle, adapted the mower for use in military airfield maintenance, and the mowers were produced all during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. So great was the company's excellence of production, they were awarded the Army-Navy ‘E’ Award
Army-Navy ‘E’ Award
The Army-Navy "E" Award was an honor presented to a company during World War II for excellence in production of war equipment. The award was also known as the Army-Navy Production Award. The award would consist of a pennant for the plant and emblems for all employees in the plant at the time the...
with stars.
In 1945, the mower company was apparently sold to Jacobsen, though the plant in Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania
Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania
Stroudsburg is a borough in Monroe County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is located in the Poconos region of the state, approximately five miles from the Delaware Water Gap, at the confluence of the Brodhead and Pocono Creeks. It is the county seat of Monroe County. Stroudsburg is part of the...
continued to produce mowers for homeowners as well as golf courses.
Sources
- C C Worthington and the Worthington Mower September–October 1999 at farmcollector.com
- Brief biography at Serving History