Alexander Manoogian ( Armenian : Ալեք Մանուկեան ; June 28, 1901 – July 10, 1996) was an Armenian-American industrial engineer, businessman, entrepreneur and philanthropist who spent most of his career in Detroit , Michigan . He was the founder of the Masco Corporation , which in 1969 was listed on the NYSE (XNYS:MAS). In 1954, he patented and brought to market the first successful washerless ball valve faucet, the Delta faucet , named for the faucet cam shaped like the fourth letter of the Greek alphabet .
13-850: He and his wife Marie donated the Manoogian Mansion to the city of Detroit, which uses it as the official residence of the Mayor of Detroit . In addition to donations to local universities, the Manoogians donated substantial amounts of money to churches, educational institutions and charities of the Armenian Diaspora to preserve and continue their culture. Manoogian was born in 1901 to Takvor ( Armenian : տակվոր մանօգիան ) and Takouchie Manoogian ( Armenian : տակուճիե մանօգիան ) in Kasaba , Ottoman Empire (present-day Turgutlu , Turkey ), near Smyrna . His father
26-577: A machinist . He also worked for short periods in Rhode Island and Massachusetts . Manoogian and his family moved to Detroit , Michigan , in 1924, attracted to opportunities in the booming auto industry. After gaining more experience, in 1929 he founded the Masco Screw Company, later known as Masco Corporation . By 1936, in the midst of the Great Depression , Manoogian had expanded Masco to
39-411: A special election in 2009 following Kilpatrick's resignation, new mayor Dave Bing did not immediately move into the mansion because of city budget issues. Cockrel likewise had not moved into the mansion. Bing moved into the mansion in 2010. He considered altering the mansion's name to remove association with the rumored Kilpatrick partying incident. The 4,000-square-foot (370 m ) Manoogian Mansion
52-519: Is located along the Detroit River , several miles east of Downtown Detroit . The Associated Press stated that it is in "a small, older subdivision". As of 2010 the maintenance cost was $ 116,000 per year. The Manoogian Mansion has Mediterranean Revival - Spanish Colonial Revival Style architecture with a Mission Revival Style influence including a terra-cotta tile roof. It has approximately 4,000 square feet (370 m ). The physical layout of
65-481: Is the official residence of the Mayor of Detroit, Michigan . It is located at 9240 Dwight Street in the Berry Subdivision Historic District, on the city's east side, backing up to the Detroit River . The mansion was built in 1928 at the cost of $ 300,000 ( $ 5.32 million in 2023). The original owner lost the home during the Great Depression and it sat vacant until Alex Manoogian , founder of
78-498: The Masco company, purchased the home at an auction in 1939 for a mere $ 25,000 ( $ 0.55 million in 2023). In 1966, Manoogian donated the mansion to the City of Detroit. Jerry Cavanagh and his family became the first mayoral family to occupy the mansion In late 2002 rumors began surfacing that Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick had thrown an excessive party there. After defeating Kenneth Cockrel, Jr. in
91-793: The AGBU, the Manoogians funded schools for ethnic Armenians in Southfield, Michigan ; Los Angeles, California ; Buenos Aires , Argentina ; Sydney , Australia ; Beirut , Lebanon ; Zahle, Lebanon ; Egypt ; Tehran, Iran ; Montreal , Quebec ; Toronto , Ontario ; and Montevideo , Uruguay (all are named for the Manoogian family). Manoogian also funded numerous Armenian churches , cultural centers, university chairs for Armenian studies and museums worldwide. He donated generously to Wayne State University in Detroit. Manoogian Mansion The Manoogian Mansion
104-406: The house is dominated by walls of windows – bowed windows, arched windows, leaded windows – that let light stream in and open onto views of the grounds and the Detroit River . The downstairs contains three sunrooms facing south and the river. There are 15 rooms in all, including a large living room, library, kitchen and two dining rooms: a formal room and a more casual one that overlooks
117-700: The point that it was listed on the New York Stock Exchange ( NYSE ). Manoogian's redesign and production of the Delta faucet , which allowed one-handed use, resulted in best-selling status for the plumbing fixture and generated substantial profits for his business. In 1995, his company had $ 3 billion in sales and had 38 percent of the domestic market for faucets. Manoogian married Marie Tatian (1902–1993), also an Armenian immigrant. Their daughter Louise Manoogian Simone (1933-2019) succeeded him as President of AGBU (see below). Their son Richard A. Manoogian (b. 1936)
130-694: The river. It has four bedrooms, plus two small bedrooms for servants. There are three full baths, a servants' bath and two half-baths. The Berry Historic Subdivision Historic District has the former homes of several prominent Detroit residents, including John and Frederic Ford, Arthur Clamage, and John Kay of Wright-Kay Jewelers. Notable architects who designed for the subdivision included John M. Donaldson and Henry J. Meier , A. C. Varney, Roland Geis and Robert O. Derrick. 42°21′13.4″N 82°58′54.1″W / 42.353722°N 82.981694°W / 42.353722; -82.981694 Wayne State University Too Many Requests If you report this error to
143-588: Was CEO of the family business Masco and is a major collector of American art. He was said to have spoken 5 languages. Marie Manoogian died in 1993, and Alex in 1996. They were first interred in Detroit, Michigan. In 2007 they were reinterred with state honors in Armenia (see below). Manoogian contributed generously to charitable organizations and educational institutions, especially to the Armenian General Benevolent Union (AGBU). In recognition, he
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#1732858277336156-675: Was a grain wholesaler. He attended Armenian schools in Smyrna. In 1915, during the Armenian Genocide , Manoogian and his family escaped what is now Turkey through Greece . He later settled in Canada . In 1920, Manoogian immigrated to the United States after escaping the aftermath of the Armenian Genocide , arriving at Ellis Island and settling in Bridgeport, Connecticut . Manoogian began working as
169-552: Was voted Life President in 1970 and Honorary Life President in 1989. Manoogian was also active in the Knights of Vartan ; in 1940 he was elected its Avak Sparapet (National Commander). In 1968 he established the AGBU Alex and Marie Manoogian Cultural Fund. The fund, seeded with a $ 1 million endowment, is devoted to the publication and translation of Armenian scholarly and literary works, and Armenian cultural material worldwide. Through
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