La Verne Noyes was an eminent inventor and entrepreneur who pioneered new wind turbine technology to deliver electricity across America. Through his Aermotor Company, Noyes manufactured and sold thousands of windmills that electrified homes and farms during the late 1800s. He became renowned for his innovations in wind power and establishing the first electrical transmission networks. Noyes ultimately donated the bulk of his $2.5 million fortune to provide college scholarships to World War One veterans and their families.
Overview of La Verne Noyes
- Born in 1849 in New York. Descendant of English settler Rev. James Noyes.
- Attended Iowa Agricultural College. Graduated in 1872 in first graduating class.
- Worked as technician at the college before starting his own business selling tools and equipment.
- Invented and patented numerous devices including the Noyes Dictionary Holder.
- Founded the successful Aermotor Company in 1887 to produce windmill electricity generators and transmission towers.
- Wealth from his company allowed Noyes to support considerable philanthropy later in life.
- Established La Verne Noyes Foundation providing scholarships for WW1 veterans and families.
- Donated $2.5 million estate to University of Chicago to fund the Foundation – the largest gift to a university at the time.
Early Life and Education
La Verne W. Noyes was born on January 7, 1849 in Genoa, New York. His lineage can be traced back to the early Puritan settlers of New England – his ancestor Rev. James Noyes migrated from England in 1634. Rev. James was a leading religious figure in the Massachusetts Bay Colony alongside his prominent brother Rev. Nicholas Noyes.
In 1854 when La Verne was five years old, his family relocated to Springville, Iowa. As the only son among four children, he likely assisted his father Leonard on their family farm. This rural upbringing gave Noyes first-hand experience with agriculture and farming equipment from a young age.
Noyes attended nearby Cornell College for his post-secondary studies before transferring to the newly opened Iowa Agricultural College in 1868. He graduated four years later in 1872 with a Bachelor of Science focused on general sciences. Noyes was part of Iowa Agricultural‘s very first graduating class. His thesis project on improving efficiency of farm machinery must have impressed the college. They hired Noyes immediately after graduation to work as a laboratory technician. This allowed him to conduct experiments and refine his own designs.
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 1849 | Born in Genoa, New York |
| 1854 | Family relocated to an Iowa farm |
| 1868 | Enrolled in Iowa Agricultural College |
| 1872 | Graduated with science degree (1st class) |
| 1872 | Hired as technician at Iowa Agricultural |
From College Technician to Manufacturing Equipment & Devices
Noyes parlayed his natural aptitude for invention into a successful early business career while working at Iowa Agricultural College. As a technician, he devised several new types of farming machinery and equipment. Noyes began patenting his creations through the university, such as an improved horse hay rake in 1874.
Recognizing commercial potential, Noyes left his technician job in 1879. He established his own manufacturing operation to produce farming tools and equipment based on his patents. Details on some of his early patented inventions are shown below:
| Year | Invention | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1874 | Horse Hay Rake | Adjustable rake head improves collection efficiency 20% |
| 1875 | Furrow Opening Shovel | Unique shovel curvature avoids soil clumping |
| 1877 | Rotary Harrow | Rotating spades with flexible joint for smoother top layer tilling |
The enterprise proved very successful. Just two years later in 1879, Noyes was able to sell the thriving farm machinery business to a local agricultural firm. This gave him capital to turn his inventiveness skills toward other devices.
Noyes became aware of the difficulties his wife Ida experienced holding heavy books while reading at home. Ever the attentive husband, he devised a clever wire book holder stand to resolve Ida‘s issue. Patented in 1880, the "Noyes Dictionary Holder" product line saw considerable demand across Iowa and neighboring states over the next years.
Ida Elizabeth Smith – Noyes‘ Wife and Travel Companion
It was while attending Iowa Agricultural College that Noyes first met Ida Elizabeth Smith. She enrolled at the college after Noyes, graduating as part of the 1874 class with a teaching focus. Ida stayed on as a member of faculty teaching mathematics, English and other subjects at her alma mater.
Recognizing a kindred spirited partner, Noyes began courting Ida while collaborating with her on certain laboratory projects. Both shared a passion for science and learning. After a lengthy courtship, Noyes finally proposed and the two married in 1877.
The brilliant and creative Ida helped review Noyes‘ various inventions and patents over the following decade. She also harbored her own dreams of seeing the world, going on several overseas journeys in Europe and the Middle East during the 1880s while her husband managed their business in Iowa.
When the couple moved to Chicago in 1887, Ida enrolled part-time in classes at the Chicago Art Institute. History and sculpture were her passions. As Noyes‘ Aermotor Company became successful in the 1890s, Ida spent increasing time abroad – journeying across India, China, Africa and the Americas while maintaining correspondence with her husband. By 1912 she had visited over 28 countries across 6 continents – quite a feat for a woman of that era!
Harnessing the Power of the Wind – The Aermotor Company
Noyes‘ next major breakthrough came in 1886 when he filed a patent for a new type of windmill able to reliably generate electricity. He had partnered with an electrical engineer named Thomas Perry to help perfect the design. Earlier windmill generators existed but were very inefficient or expensive.
As illustrated below, Noyes created an elegantly simple self-regulating system. The tail fin automatically rotated to align the windmill head into an optimal angle against the wind. The connected dynamo would then spin at high revolutions to produce electricity.
Testing in late 1886 demonstrated the wind turbine could perform 30-50% more efficiently than competing products while using standard off-the-shelf dynamo components. Noyes immediately recognized the immense potential for diverse applications – from powering factory equipment to lighting small towns.
In 1887 he established a new venture – the Aermotor Company – to commercialize production based out of Chicago. The company began constructing his patented steel windmills paired with dynamo generators at competitive prices. Their iconic tower-mounted windmills soon dotted landscapes throughout the Midwest and Western states. Farmers used Aermotor mills to grind grain, pump water for livestock, and even provide modest electricity for lighting. Small rural townships purchased clusters of the windmills to power themselves rather than rely on costly coal.
The Aermotor turbines proved incredibly reliable and enduring in the field compared to flimsier wood and fabric competitor models. By 1890 over 2000 units had been sold, with the scale of production accelerating yearly. Noyes began exporting his windmills internationally to countries like China and Russia starting 1892.
Not content just supplying the generators, Aermotor also manufactured specialized steel lattice towers to mount the windmills atop. The tall height increased wind exposure and efficiency. Noyes adapted the towers to expand into another pioneering business line – supporting long distance above-ground power cables. Aermotor received extensive contracts to create electricity transmission networks crisscrossing California, Arizona and Oregon over the 1890s.
By the turn of the century, La Verne Noyes‘ Aermotor Company had established itself as the leading wind energy firm nationally through its iconic steel windmills and transmission infrastructure. Noyes‘ inventions brought affordable electricity to thousands of homes and small communities otherwise still reliant on dirty or expensive coal and gas.
Wealth From Inventions Allow Noyes Family to Travel Extensively
Demand for Aermotor products skyrocketed through the 1900s and 1910s as more regions sought modern amenities and access to electrical power. As revenues soared into the millions, it afforded Noyes and his well-travelled wife Ida an exceedingly comfortable lifestyle in Chicago.
The couple took up residence in a sprawling three-story brick mansion located at 1450 North Lake Shore Drive in the upscale Gold Coast area. Valued at over $600,000 in today‘s terms, the luxurious house had 8 bedrooms, an indoor pool, gymnasium, library with ladder railings, private yard, and views across Lake Michigan.
With Noyes busy directing ever-expanding operations, Ida enjoyed arranging cultural excursions abroad when time allowed her husband to get away. Over three decades they journeyed across six continents together and collected fine artworks everywhere visited. Some highlights included:
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1893 – Three month Mediterranean trip touring Italy, Egypt, and Algeria
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1904 – Visited the St. Louis World‘s Fair before embarking on six week Asian expedition including India, Burma, and Hawaii.
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1909 – Six month grand tour of Europe – extended stays in France, Spain, and Turkey documenting architectural sights.
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1911 – Nine weeks across China and Mongolia, riding the Trans-Siberian Railway back.
Their only regret was being unable to have children themselves to share these global adventures with. However fate took a dramatic turn in late 1912 when Ida fell severely ill. Despite hiring the best medical care affordable, she passed away in December 1912 with her husband by her side. Ida‘s death deeply devastated Noyes, robbing him of both his closest confidante and travel partner.
The loss motivated Noyes to find an appropriate way to honor Ida‘s memory for her passions supporting educational advancement for young women.
Memorializing Ida Through the Ida Noyes Hall and Noyes Foundation
To immortalize his beloved wife Ida after her death, Noyes funded construction of a new $500,000 facility for the University of Chicago named Ida Noyes Hall. Opened in 1916, the beautiful Gothic-style women‘s clubhouse provided a gathering place for all female students and faculty members. Its classrooms, gym, dining room and auditorium hosted meetings, social events and discussions in Ida‘s name for decades to come. His gift was among the largest building donations received by any university up till then.
Still grief-stricken from Ida‘s passing, Noyes decided to leave a even greater philanthropic legacy just a year later when America joined World War One in 1917. Having no heirs of his own, he established the La Verne Noyes Foundation in 1918 and endowed it with the majority of his assets – including his mansion and the Aermotor factory.
The Foundation‘s purpose was to provide scholarships covering tuition, books, room, and board at any US university or college for military veterans returning from the Great War. Veterans only had to pass a character qualification review. Tens of thousands of former soldiers took advantage of Noyes‘ generous fund to gain vocational training or college educations over the next few decades. Students could attend any accredited public or private institution and have up to $700 per year paid for by the Foundation.
To launch this massive philanthropic effort, Noyes gifted property and assets valued at $2.5 million to the University of Chicago in 1918 to administer the program. This was the largest donation ever made to a learning institution in America at the time!
| Year | Gift | Amount | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1916 | Ida Noyes Hall | $500,000 | Women‘s clubhouse at University of Chicago |
| 1918 | La Verne Noyes Foundation | $2.5 million | Scholarships for WW1 veterans and families |
Death and Impactful Legacy
La Verne Noyes died from heart disease just one year after establishing his namesake Foundation in July 1919. He was 70 years old. His will further directed several million dollars towards continuing scholarships at his alma mater – Iowa State University.
During his lifetime, Noyes progressed from humble farm origins to prolific inventor and pioneer of early wind power technology. The Aermotor Company brought electricity to thousands of homes and small communities otherwise still in darkness. Noyes accumulated a considerable fortune yet selflessly donated almost all of it back to help others through education.
His iconic steel windmills with their spinning helix blades powered farms and rural towns well into the 1950s before becoming museum relics. But Noyes left an even longer-lasting legacy through his philanthropy. By some estimates over 70,000 war veterans obtained college degrees thanks to the Noyes scholarship in the decades after his death.
Noyes helped transform these soldiers into engineers, scientists, doctors and teachers who helped rebuild 20th century America. Not forgetting his beloved wife Ida either – her name lives on through the Chicago women‘s center bearing her name to this day.
Few inventors could claim such a lasting impact on both technology commercialization and educational advancement as La Verne Noyes. His selfless investments empowered so many later generations to change their lives through learning.
