Читать книгу Memoirs of Milwaukee County, Volume 5 - Josiah Seymour Currey - Страница 11

Irving Seaman, prominent in the business circles of Milwaukee as secretary and treasurer of the Seaman Body Corporation, manufacturers of automobile bodies, was born in this city on the 8th of August, 1881, a son of William Stewart and Kate D. (Hibbard) Seaman. The grandfather, Alonzo Duretto Seaman, was born in New York state and located in Milwaukee in 1840. His son, William Stewart, was here born and became prominent in industrial circles as manufacturer of automobile bodies and telephone booths. He passed away in 1910, a representative citizen of this community. Mrs. Seaman, who survives, was also born in this city, a daughter of William B. Hibbard.

Irving Seaman attended the German-English Academy and the East Side high school, and upon graduating from the latter institution in 1899, enrolled in the University of Wisconsin. In 1903 he was graduated therefrom, receiving the degree of Bachelor of Science. While a student at the University he was prominent in all campus activities and he became a member of Chi Psi, a national college fraternity. Upon the completion of his education he went to Philadelphia, where he became experimental engineer with the Electric Storage Battery Company, a connection he maintained for three years. The last two years he was sales engineer for that company in Chicago. In 1906 he came to Milwaukee and associated with his father in the conduct of the W. S. Seaman Company, making telephone booths and switchboards. In 1909 they commenced making automobile bodies. The following year W. S. Seaman died and the concern was then incorporated as the W. S. Seaman Company, with Irving Seaman as secretary. In 1919 the name was changed to the Seaman Body Corporation, with H. H. Seaman, who entered the business in 1910, as president; J. T. Wilson, vice president: and Irving Seaman, secretary and treasurer. The corporation manufactures closed automobile bodies for the different makes of cars and sells them to their representative companies. The business has grown to extensive and important proportions and the Nash Motors Company still retains the interest it acquired in the corporation in 1919.

On the 28th of July, 1920, Mr. Seaman was united in marriage to Miss Anne Douglas, a daughter of Harry Douglas of Great Barrington. Massachusetts, who is now living retired. He is a native of New York. To the union of Mr. and Mrs. Seaman one son has been born, Douglas. His birth occurred on the 27th of April, 1921. Politically Mr. Seaman is a republican but he never takes an active interest in party affairs. He is a consistent member of St. Paul's Episcopal church of Milwaukee. Socially he is identified with the University Club, of which he was president during the years 1919 and 1920; the Milwaukee Club; the Town Club, of which he was president in 1918; the Fox Point Club, the Milwaukee Country Club and the Rotary Club. He is interested in all that pertains to Milwaukee's progress and upbuilding and is a member of the Association of Commerce and the City Club. He .was in Washington during the World war as a dollar-a-year man on the War Industries Board. Mr. Seaman is an outdoor man and is a golf and tennis player, having won the state championship in the doubles one year. He is also fond of motoring. He looks at life from the standpoint of a practical, energetic business man who is cognizant of the fact that opportunities are open to all and that the attainment of success depends upon the energy, determination and persistency of purpose of him who seeks it.