Wednesday 11th November 1874

Born on this day, Clement O. Miniger, American industrialist and philanthropist. He founded the ‘Electric Auto-Lite Company’ (now part of Honeywell) in 1911, acting as the company’s president until 1934 and its chairman of the board from 1934 to 1944. Miniger expanded into other automotive product lines, including electric starters, ignition systems, and batteries. In 1927 Miniger gained a controlling interest in the National Lead Battery Company, Prest-O-Lite Battery Company, and Prest-O-Lite, Ltd. and purchased outright the Starting and Lighting Division of the American Bosch Magneto Company. Late in 1934, Electric Auto-lite merged with Moto-Meter Gauge and Equipment Company and expanded into industrial gauges and thermometers, moulded plastic parts, speedometers, oil pressure gauges, gasoline gauges, heat indicators and ammeters.