Michael Joseph Owens
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About
West Virginia-born inventor who created the machine that could mass-produce glass bottles. He had acquired 5 patents in his lifetime. He died at the age of 64.
Before Fame
He dropped out of school when he was only ten years old and began working as an apprentice for J. H. Hobbs, Brockunier and Company, a popular Nineteenth-century glassmaking company.
Trivia
His Owens Bottle Machine Company, founded in 1903, contained machines that could manufacture 240 glass bottles per minute. His company merged with another glass manufacturer and was re-named the Owens-Illinois Glass Company in 1929.
Family Life
He was born in Mason County, West Virginia.
Associated With
He and fellow inventor, Elmer Ambrose, were both recipients of the Elliott Cresson Medal.
