Arthur J. Schmitt (14 June 1893 – 29 March 1971) was an American engineer, inventor, entrepreneur and philanthropist.
In 1932, he founded American Phenolic Corp (which became Amphenol) when he discovered that insulating plastic could effectively be used to produce tube sockets in a quicker and simpler method than using Bakelite or ceramic.
[1] In 1941, the Arthur J. Schmitt Foundation purchased the property that would become the Fournier Institute of Technology in Lemont, Illinois.
[2] The former seminary was converted into a two-year high school and a four-year college, with the goal of training engineers for service in World War II.
Schmitt turned his financial success into significant philanthropic efforts that continue to propagate his moral and ethical values.