John Ferreol Monnot

Monnot was educated entirely abroad, entering the Lycée St. Louis, Paris, France at eight years of age, and subsequently the École polytechnique de l'université Paris-Sud.

In 1893, Monnot was retained by a group of capitalists to go to Caracas, Venezuela, and report on a copper mine El Chacao in Guárico.

He also patented a process for obtaining homogeneous and sound castings of metals, which was of great advantage in the making of steel ingots, as it improved the quality and reduced the cost.

In the United States his patents were exploited by the Duplex Metals Co. of New York, of which he was president from 1905 to 1908, when he resigned to extend his work abroad.

Among his lesser achievements were a process of extracting rubber from bark and leaves of trees, and improvements in steam heating and electric lighting systems.