Our People of the Century Frank H. Wheaton, Sr.: Son Shaped Patriarch's Vision into Worldwide Success

The name Frank Hayes Wheaton, is synonymous with the glass industry and with the city of Millville.

Often called the "Dean of the American Glass Industry," Frank H. Wheaton Sr. was the son of Dr. T.C. Wheaton, a physician turned businessman and pharmacist who settled in Millville in 1883.

Sparked by a professional interest in pharmacists' glassware, T.C. Wheaton in 1888 invested in a small factory established on the outskirts of town. It was to become the nucleus of the T.C. Wheaton Co.

With remarkable foresight, T.C. bought 25 square blocks and laid the groundwork for the expansion that would take place under future generations.

A couple of years after Frank H. Wheaton Sr. entered the company in 1889, a bad business venture left his father with a loan that took a total of 10 years to pay off.

Serving as company president after the death of T.C. in 1931, Frank Sr. developed a policy to stay away from borrowing money whenever possible.

In the late 1930s, business boomed with the help of automation and, during the 1940s and 1950s, company expansions and/or plant additions seemed to take place nearly every year.

Besides providing jobs, Frank Sr. gave back to the community in other ways, including donating hundreds of thousands of dollars to Millville Hospital over the years.

In 1966, Frank Wheaton, Jr. took over the presidency of the company, but Frank Sr. retained a position and continued to show up at the office every day, even after reaching the age of 100.

"I have no regrets working for this company all these years," said Sr. in 1982, a year before he died at age 102. "One of the pleasures of my life is to come here to work five days a week."

By that time, the firm, then known as Wheaton Industries, had grown from one small Millville factory to 41 plants throughout the U.S. and 27 different companies in 20 foreign countries.

Like his father, Frank Wheaton Jr. also gave to the local community. He was founder of Wheaton Village and a major supporter of the Millville Rescue Squad.

Frank Jr. became involved in a long dispute with the IRS and, in 1991, was ousted by the board of directors. Five years later the company was sold to a Swiss-based firm.

In 1996, Frank Jr. established Wheaton Worldwide in the Millville Industrial Park.

"He touched most lives in Millville in one way or another," said Millville's current mayor, Jim Quinn, after the death of Frank Jr. in 1998.

"Several Wheaton Industries have employed our families through generations, and he was certainly one of the top industrial workers in the county. He put Millville on the map in many ways."