Goodrich, Benjamin F(ranklin) (1841-1888)

US physician and industrialist. A surgeon during the Civil War, he opened a private practice in Jamestown, New York (1864), which he quit for the real estate business. With his partners, he controlled the rubber company that manufactured Charles Goodyear's products (1867). This venture failed, leading to a second factory purchase in 1868, which also failed. In 1870 Goodrich settled in Akron, Ohio, and founded Goodrich, Tew & Company. The company was reorganized in 1874 as Goodrich & Company, and began to enjoy success from 1880 under the name of B F Goodrich Company after the injection of new money in 1879, principally from G W Crouse. Goodrich was born in Ripley, New York.