Pierre Samuel du Pont de Nemours (1739 - 1817), born in Paris, France, was the founder of a dynamic and innovative family of entrepreneurs. His name was originally Dupont but he changed the form and then added the name of a district south of Paris called "de Nemours".
During the course of his life, he traveled to the United States, developing strong ties with industry and government, in particular, Thomas Jefferson. Eventually, he would settle in the U.S. permanently where he died in 1817.
His son, Eleuthère Irénée du Pont, founded what would become one of the largest and most successful American corporations: E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company.
