T. S. Fitch
Encyclopedia
Tecumseh Sherman Fitch (21 March 1908– 7 October 1969) was the founder and CEO of Washington Steel Corporation
. He was the great-grandson of Civil War general William Tecumseh Sherman
. He graduated from Yale University in 1931, when he joined Jessop Steel, initially working as a laborer and then rising in the ranks of management to head the Composite Steel Division from 1936 to 1942. He founded Washington Steel
in 1945 .
Fitch served as mayor of Washington, Pennsylvania
from 1956 to 1960. He was a strong supporter of the African-American community in that city, and was instrumental in the creation of the LeMoyne Center athletic facility in 1956, in the heart of the black community, where the T.S. Fitch Gymnasium was named for him. The dedication was attended by baseball greats Jackie Robinson
and Branch Rickey
Fitch was also a founding Board Member and strong supporter of PONY League Baseball
, which was founded in Washington, PA in 1951.
Fitch married Janet M Reed in 1935 , and they had seven children. He died of emphysema at the age of 61, in 1969.
Washington Steel Corporation
Washington Steel Corporation was a highly successful post-war stainless steel production company, located in Washington, Pennsylvania. Washington Steel was the first U.S. company to use a Sendzimir Mill, invented by Polish inventor Tadeusz Sendzimir to cold-roll stainless steel.Washington Steel...
. He was the great-grandson of Civil War general William Tecumseh Sherman
William Tecumseh Sherman
William Tecumseh Sherman was an American soldier, businessman, educator and author. He served as a General in the Union Army during the American Civil War , for which he received recognition for his outstanding command of military strategy as well as criticism for the harshness of the "scorched...
. He graduated from Yale University in 1931, when he joined Jessop Steel, initially working as a laborer and then rising in the ranks of management to head the Composite Steel Division from 1936 to 1942. He founded Washington Steel
Washington Steel Corporation
Washington Steel Corporation was a highly successful post-war stainless steel production company, located in Washington, Pennsylvania. Washington Steel was the first U.S. company to use a Sendzimir Mill, invented by Polish inventor Tadeusz Sendzimir to cold-roll stainless steel.Washington Steel...
in 1945 .
Fitch served as mayor of Washington, Pennsylvania
Washington, Pennsylvania
Washington is a city in and the county seat of Washington County, Pennsylvania, United States, within the Pittsburgh Metro Area in the southwestern part of the state...
from 1956 to 1960. He was a strong supporter of the African-American community in that city, and was instrumental in the creation of the LeMoyne Center athletic facility in 1956, in the heart of the black community, where the T.S. Fitch Gymnasium was named for him. The dedication was attended by baseball greats Jackie Robinson
Jackie Robinson
Jack Roosevelt "Jackie" Robinson was the first black Major League Baseball player of the modern era. Robinson broke the baseball color line when he debuted with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947...
and Branch Rickey
Branch Rickey
Wesley Branch Rickey was an innovative Major League Baseball executive elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1967...
Fitch was also a founding Board Member and strong supporter of PONY League Baseball
PONY Baseball and Softball
PONY Baseball and Softball is a non-profit organization with headquarters in Washington, Pennsylvania. Started in 1951, it is dedicated to helping young people grow into healthier and happier adults, primarily through the organization of baseball and softball leagues...
, which was founded in Washington, PA in 1951.
Fitch married Janet M Reed in 1935 , and they had seven children. He died of emphysema at the age of 61, in 1969.