Firestone, Harvey Samuel (1868-1938), was an American industrial leader who pioneered in the field of automobile tires. He founded the Firestone Tire & Rubber Company (now Bridgestone/Firestone, Inc.) in Akron, Ohio, in 1900. He served as president of this company from 1903 to 1926, and was chairman of the board of directors until his death on Feb. 7, 1938. Firestone had close relationships with the automaker Henry Ford and the inventor Thomas Edison.
Firestone was born on Dec. 20, 1868, on a farm in Columbiana County, Ohio, and grew up there. After working as a bookkeeper and a patent medicine salesman, in 1895 Firestone became employed at his uncle’s Columbus Buggy Company. Later he worked as a manager at the Consolidated Rubber Tire Company, a leading manufacturer of carriage tires. Firestone started his own company and became an expert in pneumatic (air-filled) tire design. The company flourished when it began supplying such tires for vehicles produced by the Ford Motor Company.
Firestone was a competitive businessman who cut prices whenever possible and shunned industry agreements. His keen interest in technical progress caused his company to lead in numerous improvements, especially in the area of truck tires. In 1931, Firestone became the first to market a practical air-filled tire for farm machinery.
In 1926, Firestone signed an agreement with the Liberian government to lease 1 million acres (400,000 hectares) of land for the development of rubber plantations. He made large loans to Liberia and built a new and improved harbor for the country. Firestone also led in investigating the rubber resources of the Philippines and South America, and he promoted a search for alternative sources for natural rubber in the United States.
