Charles T. Jeffery
Encyclopedia
Charles Thomas Jeffery was an American
businessman. He was the son of Thomas B. Jeffery
, founder of Thomas B. Jeffery Company
, an automobile
manufacturer.
When his father died in 1910, Charles Jeffery assumed control of the Thomas B. Jeffery Company. Under his guidance, the firm continued to prosper. His most significant success was in the large number of heavy-duty truck
s he manufactured. The U.S. Army was Jeffery's best customer during the years of World War I
. The four-wheel, chain-drive Jeffery Quad became the workhorse of the Allied Expeditionary Force eventually. Jeffery also made impressive advances in sales of his automobile. He dropped the Rambler marque in 1914 in favor of "Jeffery" and produced 10,283 of them.
Jeffery was totally committed to the company and its success before he became a passenger on the ill-fated passenger ship RMS Lusitania
in 1915. It was sunk by a German submarine
off the Irish coast, with a heavy loss of life. Jeffery survived, but he lost interest in the company, or as one author put it, "re-evaluated his priorities." The Jeffery Company was for sale and Charles Nash
was interested. Charles Nash purchased the Thomas B Jeffery Company and Charles T Jeffery's lakeside property at 6221 Third Avenue, Kenosha.
During his lifetime he collected an extensive library of rare books, maps and autographs which was sold at auction following his death at Merion, Pa.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
businessman. He was the son of Thomas B. Jeffery
Thomas B. Jeffery
For the government official in colonial Nova Scotia see Thomas Nickleson JefferyThomas B. Jeffery was an inventor and manufacturer of bicycles and early automobiles.-Early life:...
, founder of Thomas B. Jeffery Company
Thomas B. Jeffery Company
The Thomas B. Jeffery Company was an American automobile manufacturer in Kenosha, Wisconsin from 1902 until 1916. The company manufactured the Rambler and Jeffery brand motorcars. It was preceded by the Gormully & Jeffery Manufacturing Company and it was the parent company to Nash Motors, thus one...
, an automobile
Automobile
An automobile, autocar, motor car or car is a wheeled motor vehicle used for transporting passengers, which also carries its own engine or motor...
manufacturer.
When his father died in 1910, Charles Jeffery assumed control of the Thomas B. Jeffery Company. Under his guidance, the firm continued to prosper. His most significant success was in the large number of heavy-duty truck
Truck
A truck or lorry is a motor vehicle designed to transport cargo. Trucks vary greatly in size, power, and configuration, with the smallest being mechanically similar to an automobile...
s he manufactured. The U.S. Army was Jeffery's best customer during the years of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. The four-wheel, chain-drive Jeffery Quad became the workhorse of the Allied Expeditionary Force eventually. Jeffery also made impressive advances in sales of his automobile. He dropped the Rambler marque in 1914 in favor of "Jeffery" and produced 10,283 of them.
Jeffery was totally committed to the company and its success before he became a passenger on the ill-fated passenger ship RMS Lusitania
RMS Lusitania
RMS Lusitania was a British ocean liner designed by Leonard Peskett and built by John Brown and Company of Clydebank, Scotland. The ship entered passenger service with the Cunard Line on 26 August 1907 and continued on the line's heavily-traveled passenger service between Liverpool, England and New...
in 1915. It was sunk by a German submarine
U-boat
U-boat is the anglicized version of the German word U-Boot , itself an abbreviation of Unterseeboot , and refers to military submarines operated by Germany, particularly in World War I and World War II...
off the Irish coast, with a heavy loss of life. Jeffery survived, but he lost interest in the company, or as one author put it, "re-evaluated his priorities." The Jeffery Company was for sale and Charles Nash
Charles W. Nash
Charles Warren Nash was a United States automobile entrepreneur and served as an executive in the automotive industry.- Early life :...
was interested. Charles Nash purchased the Thomas B Jeffery Company and Charles T Jeffery's lakeside property at 6221 Third Avenue, Kenosha.
During his lifetime he collected an extensive library of rare books, maps and autographs which was sold at auction following his death at Merion, Pa.