Person:Emmet Culligan (1)

Our oldest brother, Emmett Joseph Culligan, was born in Yankton, South Dakota on March 5, 1893 and died at St. Bernardine's Hospital, in San Bernardino, California on June 3, 1970. He had been in an automobile accident on May 13, 1970 and was in the intensive Care Unit at the hospital until he died.

Emmett entered St. Thomas Military Academy, St. Paul, Minnesota, with John in 1907. They were boarders until 1909 when their mother came to St. Paul to live with her family.

Emmett finished High School and one year of co11ege in 1913 and then secured employment with a real estate firm in Minneapolis. When he was 21 years of age, he received his share of his father's estate and began buying prairie land in Southern Minnesota and sowing it to flax. In due time this land was ready to be sold, which he did at a substantial profit. He bought a farm home in Porter, Minnesota, and after his marriage, on December 30, 1919, he brought his bride to this home. He cultivated the land and continued to buy and se11 rea1 estate until the depression of 1921, when he lost his farm and had to seek another kind of employment.

Through a friend, he became interested in softening of water by synthetic Zeolite. He moved to Des Moines, Iowa, and became District Manager for a firm there. He soon became dissatisfied with their sales methods and left to return to St. Paul, where, with financial assistance from his family, he formed the Twin City Water Softener Company. He 1ater moved to Phoenix and then to Yuma, Arizona, where he set up a plant to make Zeolite and dry it in the hot Arizona sun. This was during the depression and softener sales soon dropped decidedly. He moved to Lagrange, Illinois, and became associated with the National Aluminate Company as Manager of the Zeolite Department. It was during this period that he conceived the idea of marketing soft water on a service basis through franchised dealer

In 1936, with $50.00 in his pocket and with additional money arranged as a loan by his brother, Dr. John M. Culligan, and his sister, Anna V. Culligan, he set up the Culligan Zeolite Company with his brothers, Drs. John and Leo Culligan, as partners. They started the new business in Jack McLaughlin's Blacksmith Shop, at Northbrook, Illinois. In this small town, there were deserted paved streets of a bankrupt subdivision. He bought discarded hot water tanks, cutting and welding them in McLaughlin's Blacksmith Shop. As time went on his business grew. However, in 1945 the partnership was dissolved and a new company was incorporated. Emmett was President until 1950 when he became Chairman of the Board and Harold Werhane was made President. In 1962 the name was changed to Culligan, Incorporated. The Company now has its International Headquarters in Northbrook, Illinois. There are more than 1000 dealerships and business offices 85 countries. For further information refer to the Company magazine, "Topics" of July, 1970.

Emmett was a member of the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick and was on the Executive Committee in Los Angeles, California. In 1947 he was made a Papal Knight of the Order of St. Gregory and in 1962 a Knight of Malta Cardinal Spellman of New York. He belonged to the Union League Club of Chicago, Illinois. In September 1969, he received the Horatio Alger Award from the American Society of Schools and Colleges for founding a new industry.

His funeral was at Holy Rosary Church, San Bernardino, California, with burial in Calvary Cemetery, Sioux City, Iowa, beside his parents and grandparents.

1937 Photo Description: Emmett Joseph Culligan Family

Mr. Emmett Joseph Culligan & Mrs. Anna Harrington Culligan, Mary Margaret Culligan, Thomas Emmett Culligan, Anna Maria Culligan, Catherine Ann Culligan, John Francis Culligan, Jude Joseph Culligan, Reverand Gerald Culligan.

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