Henry M. Rowan

Snapshots and stories from a remarkable life

By Rowan University

December 8^th, 2023

"I was born on December 4, 1923, the third of four children and the first son of Dr. Henry M. Rowan Sr. and Margaret Frances Boyd Rowan."

Henry Rowan's autobiography, The Fire Within, starts with memories of his boyhood in small-town America and follows through flight school during World War II, starting his business and all that led him to become the transformative benefactor and namesake of Rowan University.

For what would have been his 100th birthday, a collection of photos, accompanied by excerpts from his book:

A boy's life

...On my ninth birthday, my gifts included a ledger book in which I was to account for every penny of my 25 cents per week allowance as well as money earned from doing chores. ...My rudimentary accounting served me well when, at the age of nine, I became an entrepreneur, entering the chicken and egg business...with a captive market—Mother. ...I was learning more than economics from Mother, however. Our training began with books—the Bible, Ivanhoe, Black Beauty, Moby Dick. She took us to concerts and museums of art (which I found boring) and of history and science (which I found fascinating).

In June 1941, on the day I accepted my diploma from Deerfield Academy's headmaster, I stood 6-foot, 1-inch tall. ...The following fall, I entered Williams College... The 3-2 plan required three years at Williams and two at MIT and led to dual degrees: Bachelor of Arts and Master of Science. It was, in a way, an extension of Mother's philosophy of the well-rounded individual, as conversant in art and the humanities as in a professional expertise.

1930: six-year-old Henry (third from left) takes his first plane ride, accompanied by his siblings.

At the controls of the twin-engine Lear Jet that increased the entrepreneur's ability to reach his customers, serve them and sell products.

Fourteen months after reporting to basic training, I not only had on my wings as an aviator, but also had achieved my goal of winning a commission as a second lieutenant...I finally found myself at the controls of the B-17 Flying Fortress. ...Shortly after I qualified in B-17's in May 1945, the news came of Germany's surrender. Like everyone else in America, I was grateful to see the war in Europe come to an end. Yet, at the same time, like so many newly anointed pilots who'd competed for the right to fly, I felt cheated out of what we saw as the ultimate challenge—combat flying.

From military service to MIT

The ideal of the well-rounded scholar notwithstanding, I couldn't resist the challenges of engineering—there were so many problems to solve, so much science to learn. ...I'd enrolled in the electrical engineering course at MIT where I'd spent a semester before reporting for duty [in the Army Air Corps]. ...In the service and in the air, I'd learned things about the world and about people I never could have known had I remained in school. ...After two and a half years of military rote and rhetoric, I welcomed the sheer intellectual stimulation.

In May 1953, Inductotherm was born. ...Between the two of us, we set out to make Inductotherm's very first furnace the most advanced 60-pound induction furnace anybody had ever built. ...Betty and I built a bonfire in the back yard, put a spit over it, and annealed the copper coil in the flames. ...Six weeks later, the job was finished. ...Was it a piece of hardware Betty and I had sculpted over a bonfire, or the shape of the future? ...It was up to me to sieze the moment. ...Whatever I imagined that night, it probably would have paled next to the reality of things.

Taking flight

"I'm going to fly." This was the day Inductotherm earned its wings. I'd bought my plane, an old Ercoupe that had caught my eye at the Moorestown airport. ....I still loved the freedom and the feeling of flight and the fact that flying could take me where I wanted to go faster than any other mode of travel. I was also keenly aware of the fact that flying could give Inductotherm a big advantage over our competition. ...as I had observed a decade earlier from the cockpit of a B-17, it would be a cinch to cover [our company's customer service] circuit by plane.

...I'd had plenty of fun running Inductotherm, especially during the times we were struggling, taking chances, and even making mistakes. It was all with one goal in mind—becoming the preeminent manufacturer of induction melting systems in the world. Now we'd reached that goal...Inductotherm hadn't just grown in size, but also in scope; by 1975, our little furnace company in Rancocas had become an international conglomerate, with 19 companies in North America, Europe, South America, and Australia, and over $45 million in consolidated sales, with $13 million of these revenues originating overseas. ...Yes, it was time for a new challenge. In the spring of 1992 I found what I'd been looking for. Or maybe it found me. I wanted to do something consistent with my life's work. ...to do the most good for the most people. ...what could ensure a young person's lot in life more than a top-notch education? ...

Announcing the gift

And so, I decided to do it. ...On the morning of July 6, 1992, a buzz of expectation filled the auditorium at Glassboro State College as Betty and I climbed the stairs to the stage ... The audience fell quiet as Dr. James strode to the microphone and thanked everyone for coming, then broke the momentous news: "This morning, I'm pleased to announce that Henry and Betty Rowan and Inductotherm Industries have pledged to us a gift of $100 million."

More than a benefactor

...my gift to the college has been a tremendous personal gain... has given new purpose to my life and revitalized my work. ...It's exciting to drive through the college ... and see the sign of expansion and improvement everywhere. The students, too, seem to feel that they're part of something unique, and a new spirit has settled in. ...If I have one wish for the college, it is that the students who benefit from the success we've achieved at Inductotherm go forth to build on our achievements.