Born in Bristol, Pennsylvania, he earned a bachelor of science degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he was a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity,[citation needed] and a doctor of philosophy from the University of Göttingen in Germany.
A nephew of the general manager of the Joseph Campbell Preserve Company, he went to work there in 1897 and invented condensed soup.
[citation needed] Dorrance died on September 21, 1930, of heart disease at his home in Cinnaminson Township, New Jersey.
[citation needed] Following Dorrance's death, there was significant litigation over his domicile for purposes of estate and inheritance tax.
The estate sought relief in the United States Supreme Court, but the request for review was denied.