R. J. Reynolds
R. J. Reynolds | |
|---|---|
R.J. Reynolds, head of Reynolds Tobacco Company | |
| Born | Richard Joshua Reynolds July 20, 1850 Patrick County, Virginia, U.S. |
| Died | July 29, 1918 (aged 68) |
| Resting place | Salem Cemetery (Winston-Salem, North Carolina) |
| Alma mater | Emory & Henry College Bryant & Stratton College |
| Occupation | Owner of R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 4 including; Dick, Mary. Zachary |
| Signature | |
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Richard Joshua Reynolds (July 20, 1850 – July 29, 1918) was an American businessman and founder of the R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company.
The son of a tobacco farmer and major slaveowner, he worked for his father and attended Emory & Henry College from 1868 to 1870, eventually graduating from Bryant & Stratton Business College in Baltimore. He sold his share of the family business in 1874 and moved south to Winston (now Winston-Salem), North Carolina, to start his own tobacco company. Reynolds was a savvy businessman and a hard worker, and he quickly became one of the wealthiest citizens of Winston-Salem; eventually, he was the wealthiest person in the state of North Carolina. He died in 1918 of pancreatic cancer.