Harrison Ruffin Tyler (born November 9, 1928) is an American chemical engineer, businessman, and preservationist. He cofounded ChemTreat, Inc., a water treatment company, in 1968 and restored the Sherwood Forest Plantation. He is a son of Lyon Gardiner Tyler and the last living grandchild of former U.S. president John Tyler. He spoke on the history of his family. Tyler purchased Fort Pocahontas in 1996 and advocated for its preservation.

Early life and education

Tyler was born on November 9, 1928, to Susan Ruffin and Lyon Gardiner Tyler.^[1] His paternal grandparents were Julia Gardiner and the tenth US President John Tyler. Through his mother, he is a great-grandson of Edmund Ruffin,^[2] and a descendant of Benjamin Harrison IV, Robert Carter I and Pocahontas.^[3] She was a teacher and caretaker of the family's historical documents.^[4] Despite his familial connections, Tyler grew up poor during the Great Depression.^[5]

Tyler, whose father died when he was a boy, was homeschooled by his mother and then attended Charles City County public schools. He briefly attended St. Christopher's School.^[6] Possibly through Lyon's friendship with Franklin D. Roosevelt, Nancy Astor, Viscountess Astor funded Tyler's education at the College of William & Mary with a $5,000 check.^[5] He graduated with a degree in chemistry in 1949.^[6] Due to a shortage of employment opportunities in chemistry, Tyler continued his education at the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, where he received a second bachelor's degree in chemical engineering in 1951.^[7]

Career

After graduating from Virginia Tech, Tyler worked as a project manager for Virginia-Carolina Chemical Corporation, where he led a plant in Charleston, South Carolina. Tyler became familiar with soft water and learned how to treat hard water when he worked as a start-up engineer for a plant in Cincinnati, Ohio. He received a patent in water treatment pertaining to shiny aluminum. In 1963, Virginia-Carolina Chemical Corporation was acquired by Mobil.^[6] The change in corporate culture prompted Tyler to found ChemTreat, Inc., with partner William P. Simmons. The water treatment company was headquartered in Glen Allen, Virginia.^[8] He used chemistry to address problems with industrial water cooling systems.^[9] The company worked with hospitals and the paper and pulp sector.^[10] In 2000, Tyler led an employee stock ownership program at his company.^[11][5] ChemTreat was acquired by the Danaher Corporation in 2007.^[12]

Personal life

Tyler and Frances Payne Bouknight of Mulberry Hill Plantation, Johnston, South Carolina announced their engagement in 1957.^[13][2] The couple were married from July 1957 until her death on February 8, 2019, and had three children: Julia Gardiner Tyler Samaniego (born 1958), Harrison Ruffin Tyler Jr. (born 1960), and William Bouknight Tyler (born 1961).^[10][14] They resided in Richmond, Virginia.^[2]

Tyler is a preservationist. His family purchased the Sherwood Forest Plantation from relatives in 1975 and oversaw its restoration.^[4][5] Tyler spoke publicly of his family's history.^[9][15] In 1996, he purchased and financially supported the preservation of Fort Pocahontas.^[10][16] Beginning in 1997, Tyler sponsored annual American Civil War reenactments at Wilson's Wharf.^[17] In 1997, he collaborated with the William & Mary Center for Archaeological Research to assess and research Fort Pocahontas.^[10] In 2001, he donated $5 million and 22,000 books and documents from his father to the College of William & Mary department of history.^[11] In 2021, the college renamed the department the Harrison Ruffin Tyler Department of History in his honor.^[11]

Tyler had a series of mini-strokes starting in 2012 and has dementia as of 2020.^[5] As of 2021, he lives in a Virginia nursing home, and his son William oversees the Sherwood Forest Plantation.^[11] His grandfather is the earliest former president of the United States with a living grandchild.^[5]