Harrison Ruffin Tyler

Harrison Ruffin Tyler (born November 9, 1928) is a retired American chemical engineer, businessman, and preservationist who cofounded ChemTreat, Inc., a water treatment company. A grandson of the 10th U.S. President John Tyler, he has played a role in preserving historical sites such as Sherwood Forest Plantation and Fort Pocahontas, while also donating historical materials to the College of William & Mary.

Tyler was born on November 9, 1928, to Susan Ruffin and Lyon Gardiner Tyler.^[1] His paternal grandparents were Julia Gardiner and the tenth President of the United States, John Tyler. Through his mother, he is a great-grandson of Edmund Ruffin,^[2] and a descendant of Benjamin Harrison IV, Robert Carter I and Pocahontas.^[3] She was a teacher and caretaker of the family's historical documents.^[4] Despite his familial connections, Tyler grew up poor during the Great Depression.^[5]

Tyler, whose father died when he was a boy, was homeschooled by his mother and then attended Charles City County public schools. He briefly attended St. Christopher's School.^[6] He had an older brother, Lyon Gardiner Tyler, Jr.^[5] Possibly through his father's friendship with Franklin D. Roosevelt, Nancy Astor, Viscountess Astor funded Tyler's education at the College of William & Mary with a $5,000 check.^[5] He graduated with a degree in chemistry in 1949.^[6] Due to a shortage of employment opportunities in chemistry, Tyler continued his education at the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, where he received a second bachelor's degree in chemical engineering in 1951.^[7]

After graduating from Virginia Tech, Tyler worked as a project manager for Virginia-Carolina Chemical Corporation, where he led a plant in Charleston, South Carolina. Tyler became familiar with soft water and learned how to treat hard water when he worked as a start-up engineer for a plant in Cincinnati, Ohio. He received a patent in water treatment pertaining to shiny aluminum. In 1963, Virginia-Carolina Chemical Corporation was acquired by Mobil.^[6] The change in corporate culture prompted Tyler to leave the company and found ChemTreat, Inc., with partner William P. Simmons. The water treatment company was headquartered in Glen Allen, Virginia.^[8] He used chemistry to address problems with industrial water cooling systems.^[9] The company worked with hospitals and the paper and pulp sector.^[10] In 2000, Tyler led an employee stock ownership program at his company.^[11][5] ChemTreat was acquired by the Danaher Corporation in 2007.^[12]

Tyler and Frances Payne Bouknight of Mulberry Hill Plantation, Johnston, South Carolina announced their engagement in 1957.^[13][2] The couple was married from July 1957 until her death on February 8, 2019, and had three children: Julia Gardiner Tyler Samaniego (born 1958), Harrison Ruffin Tyler Jr. (born 1960), and William Bouknight Tyler (born 1961).^[10][14] They resided in Richmond, Virginia.^[2]

Tyler is a preservationist. His family purchased the Sherwood Forest Plantation from relatives in 1975 and oversaw its restoration.^[4][5] Tyler has spoken publicly of his family's history.^[9][15] In 1996, he purchased and financially supported the preservation of Fort Pocahontas.^[10][16] Beginning in 1997, Tyler sponsored annual American Civil War reenactments at Wilson's Wharf.^[17] In 1997, he collaborated with the William & Mary Center for Archaeological Research to assess and research Fort Pocahontas.^[10] In 2001, he donated $5 million and 22,000 books and documents from his father to the College of William & Mary department of history.^[11] In 2021, the college renamed the department the Harrison Ruffin Tyler Department of History in his honor.^[11]

Tyler had a series of mini-strokes starting in 2012 and has dementia as of 2020.^[5] As of 2021, he lives in a Virginia nursing home, and his son William oversees the Sherwood Forest Plantation.^[11] His grandfather is the earliest former president of the United States with a living grandchild.^[5]

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