Lou’s brother Fred and uncle Emory were a vital part of Whirlpool Corp.’s journey to success. Fred was one of the company’s first employees, delivering and repairing washers and forging a partnership with his brother that lasted decades.
Emory, a machinist by trade, held patents for motors and mechanical devices. Mechanical design came to him so easily that he rarely valued his work appropriately. He once created a cone-shaped baking dough form, used to shape ice cream cones, for only a few dollars. Despite Emory’s modesty, he designed all the mechanics for the original Upton washers, bringing Lou’s vision for the electrified washer to life. His tenure with the company was short, however—he retired from the company in 1916.