Biographical Sketch of William W. SUPPLEE; Philadelphia Co., PA

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Philadelphia, A History of the City and its People: A Record of 225 Years
Philadelphia: S.H. Clark, 1912; Vol. 3, page 216.
Author, Ellis Paxson Oberholtzer
 
WILLIAM W. SUPPLEE
 
     If those who claim that fortune has favored certain individuals above 
others will but investigate the cause of success and failure it will be found 
that the former is largely due to the improvement of opportunity, the latter to 
the neglect of it.  Fortunate environments encompass nearly every man at some 
stage of his career but the strong man and the successful man is he who realizes 
that the proper moment has come.  The man who makes use of his "now" and not "to 
be," is the one who passes on the highway of life others who perhaps started out 
ahead of him.  It is this quality in Mr. Supplee that has gained him an enviable 
position in the business world and made him widely known as the president of the 
leading wholesale hardware house of the east.
     The ancestral history of the Supplee family covers a long connection with 
America.  The great-grandfathers of William W. Supplee came to this country in 
1685, landing at New York.  They were Huguenots or Protestants, who preferred to 
leave their native country rather than renounce their religion.  Three brothers 
of the name accompanied by their families therefore sought religious liberty in 
the new world and one of these, Andrew Supplee, sometime after their arrival on 
the western continent, was appointed to an important position of honor and trust 
under William Penn.
     The grandfather of William W. Supplee secured a large tract of land on high 
ground a few miles from Norristown and gave tangible proof of his interest in 
education by erecting a schoolhouse on his place near the present Norris city 
cemetery, which was known far and wide as the Supplee schoolhouse.  His son, 
John Supplee, was engaged in the manufacture of woolen goods for a number of 
years but following his removal with his family to Norristown engaged in 
teaching school in the building erected by his father.  He afterward secured the 
position as postmaster of Norristown, acting in that capacity for several years 
and held other offices of honor and authority.  He and his wife together with 
six other people were organizers of the first Methodist church in Norristown and 
John Supplee contributed generously toward the erection of the house of worship.  
He reached the venerable age of ninety-two and a half years, while his wife died 
at the age of eighty-nine and a half years.  One of his sisters lived to the 
remarkable old age of one hundred and two years and these facts indicate that 
the family is noted for longevity.  There were three sons in the family of John 
Supplee, the brothers of William Supplee being J. Wesley Supplee, formerly 
president of the Corn Exchange National Bank of Philadelphia, and Enoch H. 
Supplee, who at one time conducted a large school for girls and subsequently 
entered the ministry.
     William W. Supplee began his education in the little schoolhouse which his 
grandfather had built and continued his studies at Tremont Seminary in 
Norristown, after which he made his initial step in the business world with a 
good firm in that city and there learned considerable concerning business.  He 
afterward came to Philadelphia and for two years was in the employ of one of the 
leading commercial enterprises of this city.  His employer then died, leaving 
the business to his wife and son, and Mr. Supplee was authorized to attend to 
the wife's portion.  At length he determined to go west in company with a former 
schoolmate.  Mr. Lloyd, who had come to Philadelphia at about the same time as 
Mr. Supplee.  The latter informed his firm that he would leave in six months' 
time and on the expiration of that period joined Mr. Lloyd in a trip to the west 
in 1854.  They visited several places but decided to engage in business at La 
Crosse, Wisconsin, opening a small stock of goods in the store building that was 
erected for them.  Soon, however, they bought out two old established stores 
there and thus further increased their business.  On the failure of a large 
house of that city they were offered its stock, with payment in a year.  They 
were much surprised at this proffer of time and asked why it was made.  The 
answer was that replies to letters which they had written to Philadelphia making 
inquiries about Mr. Supplee and Mr. Lloyd were perfectly satisfactory, so that 
they felt safe in granting the year for the payment of the goods.  The 
transaction was completed and Mr. Supplee and Mr. Lloyd then rented a large 
building and continued their business, which not only extended throughout 
Wisconsin but also into adjoining states.
     While in La Crosse Mr. Supplee was married to a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. 
Harvey T. Rumsey, who had removed to that city some time before from Buffalo, 
New York, Mr. Rumsey becoming one of the successful business men of La Crosse.  
While their business was conducted with profit in La Crosse Mr. Supplee and Mr. 
Lloyd determined to return to Philadelphia and here in 1867 bought out the firm 
of Conrad & Walton and began operations in this city under the firm of Lloyd, 
Supplee & Walton.  For two years afterward, however, they conducted their store 
in the west and at the end of that time became special partners and financed the 
enterprise for some years longer.  Subsequently they purchased the interest of 
Mr. Walton in their Philadelphia store, continuing the business under the style 
of the Lloyd & Supplee Hardware Company until 1889, when Mr. Supplee purchased 
Mr. Lloyd's interest and the business was re-organized under the name of the 
Supplee Hardware Company.  Mr. Supplee then became and has since continued 
president of the house and his son William D. Supplee was treasurer of the 
company until his death.  The jobbing business of the Supplee Hardware Company 
is very extensive and is represented upon the road by a large number of 
traveling salesmen, their ramifying trade interests being continually extended 
over a constantly broadening territory.  There are a few western hardware 
jobbers who, being in a more favorable location for the western trade, do a 
somewhat larger business but the Supplee Hardware Company is the largest 
wholesale hardware house in the east.  Mr. Supple gives much of his time and 
attention to the development and control of the enterprise and its rapid and 
substantial growth is largely attributable to his unfaltering energy his marked 
business sagacity and his ability to formulate and execute practical plans.
     Mr. Supplee's experience has not been confined alone to the hardware trade.  
Upon the death of his brother, J. Wesley Supplee, then president of the Corn 
Exchange National Bank, he was made vice president of the institution.  He 
became one of the organizers of the National Hardware Association of the United 
States, was made its first president and so continued for four years, devoting 
much time and thought to its development and to the prosecution of his purposes.  
After resigning the presidency he was placed on the advisory board, which is 
composed of bank presidents and on which he has since served.  His firm were 
among those who organized the Trades League of Philadelphia, now the Chamber of 
Commerce, many years ago, and the organization which began with a membership of 
only about forty has today over twenty-five hundred members enrolled.  Following 
the resignation of Mr. Foulkrod as president of the Trades League Mr. Supplee 
was chosen his successor and so continued for two years.  Previous to and since 
that time he has been a member of the board of directors and chairman of the 
finance committee of that organization.  He was greatly interested in forming 
the Hardware Merchants and Manufacturers Association of Philadelphia and at his 
request his partner, Mr. Lloyd, was made the first president.  Later Mr. Supplee 
was chosen to that position and has since been a member of the board of 
directors.  He is also interested in the Philadelphia Bourse, of which he is a 
director, and many years ago he became connected with the Philadelphia Museum, 
of which he is a director and also chairman of the executive committee.  Soon 
after his return from the west he joined the Union League, the membership of 
which was about one-third of what it is at the present time.  He has also been a 
member of the City Club since its organization and is a valued representative in 
those societies where executive ability and keen discrimination are factors in 
the successful management and growth.  He is well fitted for leadership, for his 
judgment is sound and he is seldom if ever at fault in rating the value of an 
opportunity.  He is often seen "where men do most congregate" for the discussion 
of themes of vital interest to the city and throughout his life has been 
actuated by a public spirit that has ever sought the welfare and upbuilding of 
Philadelphia.