Introduction
Edgar Dale Prince (May 3, 1931 – March 2, 1995) was an American engineer and businessman who founded the Prince Corporation, now owned by Johnson Controls.
Early life
Edgar Dale Prince was born on May 3, 1931, in Holland, Michigan, the son of Edith (née De Weert) and Peter Prince. His father died of a stroke when Edgar was 11.
Career
Prince started his career at a company manufacturing die-cast machines in Holland, Michigan. He quit that job in order to start his own manufacturing business with the help of two co-workers. The venture proved very successful, and by the 1970s, he was a leading manufacturer of die-cast machines in Michigan. The Prince Corporation also operated a successful diversification into auto parts by developing sun visors and other interior systems for car manufacturers. After a long period of sustained growth, the company employed thousands in the early 1990s at numerous plants.
Ownership in the business made Prince one of the wealthiest men in Michigan. He co-founded the Family Research Council, a conservative Christian nonprofit, and also supported civic projects such as the renovation and preservation of downtown Holland. He and his wife are credited by the town with having saved the historic Tower Clock building from demolition.
Prince collapsed in an elevator and died in 1995. Throughout his career he had congenital heart disease. His company was sold the following year for $1.35 billion and is now a unit of Johnson Controls.
Personal life
Prince was married to Elsa Zwiep and together they had four children, including former Blackwater (now Academi) CEO, Erik Prince and the Trump administration's Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos.
Death
He died on March 2, 1995, in Holland, Michigan.