Bernard R. Armour Obituary

1890­ – 1949
Bernard R. Armour Obituary
1890 – ­December 1, 1949

Mr. Armour, a prominent figure in the chemical and textile industries for many years, died suddenly on December 1 in Roosevelt Hospital, New York at age 58 after being under observation for one week. He made his home at 251 Dana Place, Englewood, New Jersey. Funeral services were held at Park Avenue Synagogue, New York, on Sunday, December 4. (1)

Mr. Armour headed American Aniline Products, Inc. since its inception in 1917. He also headed the predecessor company, the Swiss Colors Company, which he founded in 1909. He was president of the Heyden Chemical Corporation (3) to which was added Rumford Chemical Corporation, and was active in a number of other corporations including: American Potash & Chemical Corp., Chairman of the Board of Directors; Ansbacher­Siegle Corp., Director; Charles Hellmuth Printing Ink Corp., President and Director (4); Hartford Rayon Corp., President and Director; Markt & Hammacher Corp., Treasurer and Director; The Ore & Chemical Corp., Treasurer and Director; Pell, Ltd., Director; United Zinc Smelting Corp., Treasurer and Director. (1) Note: The Heyden Chemical Corporation was a German company. Armour had been working in Garfield, New Jersey since 1922, in a branch of the Heyden Company, a German chemical factory, founded in Saxony. The business was doing very well and after a while Heyden started producing Penicillin and other products. When bombing during World War II destroyed the St. Michael Church in Hildesheim, Germany whose pastor was the brother of a manager of Heyden, Armour went to the Allied governance and successfully requested funds to restore the church. (3)

Figure: Courtesy American Dyestuff Reporter

In the textile field Mr. Armour was head of the Aspinook Corp., which included the Lawrence Print Works, Hampton Print Works, Union Bleachery and Arnold Print Works Divisions. He also was head of the Associated Dyeing and Printing Company and Sussex Dye and Print Works. (1)

Mr. Armour, who was a frequent visitor to the White House and a friend of President Truman, served on many committees of the Democratic State and National organizations as well as being an active participant in civic affairs of New York City. In 1947 he served as a member of Mayor O’Dwyer’s fact finding committee appointed to study the issues of the Railway Express strike. He served as a member of the Executive Advisory Committee of the New York City Department of Commerce which, in 1948, probed the dispute between airlines and the Port of New York Authority. During the recent election campaign he served as Chairman of the Heavy Industry and Manufacturing Division of Independent Citizens Committee for the Reelection of Mayor O’Dwyer. Recently, he was appointed a Director of the Chamber of Commerce of the new state of Israel.

Mr. Armour was a charter member of the Chemist’s Club of New York, a Director and former Vice ­President of the New York Board of Trade, a member of the AATCC, and a member of the National Democratic Club.

Mr. Armour is survived by his widow, Martha S. Armour; three daughters, Ruth, Rachel and Tobey Armour; three sisters; and a brother, George L. Armour, Executive Vice ­President and Director of American Aniline Products, Inc. and a member of the board of directors of other Armour properties.

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Sources:

1. American Dyestuff Reporter, December 1949
2. In re: Estate of Bernard R. Armour http://174.123.24.242/leagle/xmlResult.aspx?xmldoc=195326811NJ257_1233.xml&docbase=CSLWAR1­1950­1985
3. Heyden Chemical. http://www.atlantic­times.com/archive_detail.php?recordID=158
4. Hellmuth Printing Ink http://www.14to42.net/18street.html