2020 NIA Hall of Fame Inductee

 Henry Morgan Brookfield

Morgan Brookfield:

Henry Morgan Brookfield (preferred to be called Morgan) revolutionized insulator (and glassware) production during his time in the glassmaking business. It has only been recently that study of available patent information has shown the impact Morgan had on the insulator (and glassmaking) business as a whole. Morgan improved on the famed Kribs’ press by being the first person now known to work towards, and achieve, full automation in glassmaking. His accomplishments include:

• The first insulator press allowing two insulators to be pressed EVENLY with one pressing mechanism/action (1896 patented in 1998 - stated to be impossible before this)
• The first continuously running glass press (1899 - patented 1900).
• The first fully automated insulator (or general glass) press (1899 and patented in 1900).
• The first two-piece mold auto-ejecting (or general glass) press (1899 patented 1900).
• The first three-piece mold auto ejecting glass press (1905 patented 1906).

William Brookfield had already patented an automatic bottle blowing machine in 1899. It is possible by adding auto ejection, that Morgan’s automatic of 1888-1900 was making bottles automatically before the famed Owen’s automatic Bottling machine patented in 1903.

Morgan’s fully automated presses were the cutting edge of insulator pressing machines even after the Brookfield company closed in 1921 as seen from the Lynchburg Glass Company papers. Lynchburg was touting their acquisition of the fully automatic Brookfield presses was the factor that would mean only Hemingray would be a rival to Lynchburg production.

During WWI, Morgan took upon himself to run the plant single-handedly while his brother Frank went off to war. As another part of his contribution to the War effort, it was said by William Lord Brookfield, his son, that Morgan ran the company with as little profit as possible.