Born in Sagamore, Massachusetts, Swift moved with his family to Chicago, Illinois, in 1875, when the city's cattle market was expanding.^[1]^[4] His father Gustavus had developed refrigerated railway cars for transporting fresh meat to eastern markets, enabling processed meat to be shipped directly from slaughterhouses in Chicago.^[4]

After completing high school, Louis Swift began working at Swift & Company and gained experience by selecting and purchasing cattle at the Chicago stockyards.^[4] He served as the company's treasurer from its incorporation in 1885 until 1895, when he became vice president.^[4] Upon his father's death in 1903, Swift assumed the presidency, a position he held until 1931.^[4]^[5] During his tenure, Swift & Company expanded its product range into dairy and poultry, and developed industrial uses for slaughter by-products, such as soap, fertilizer, glue, and oleomargarine.^[4] Swift also implemented employee-oriented measures, including safety campaigns and stock investment plans.^[4]

In 1918, Swift was included in the Forbes Rich List and was the 23rd richest person.^[6]

From 1931 to 1932, Swift served as chairman of the company's board.^[4]^[7] In 1927, he co-authored a biography of his father, titled The Yankee of the Yards, with Arthur Van Vlissingen, Jr.^[8]

Biography

See also

References