Irénée du Pont, Jr. passes away at age 103

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Irénée du Pont, Jr. died on Monday at 103.

The Tower Hill School graduate went on to receive a degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1943 after first attending Dartmouth College.

He initially worked in the aviation business and joined his family’s company in 1946, holding engineering and supervisory positions at its plants before moving into executive positions and eventually a seat on its board. He also served on the board of Wilmington Trust, which was founded by the duPont family, along with other organizations, including Longwood Gardens.

duPont maintained an active lifestyle in his later years, living independently and pursuing interests that included automobiles (duPont family holdings once controlled General Motors), his workshop, sailing, and motorcycle trips.

His long life and willingness to talk about his career and interests contributed to efforts to chronicle the history of the family and the DuPont Co. Along the way, he witnessed breakthroughs that included Kevlar as well as environmental and competitiive challenges. Click here for a link to an interview in the Hagley archives.

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Burial will be private. A memorial service will be scheduled in the future.

Click here for the full death notice.

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