3M's Founders

Five industrious and tenacious northern Minnesota businessmen with diverse occupations founded 3M. They financed the company to mine mineral for grinding wheel abrasives. Like many others in the early 1900s, 3M's founders incorporated first and investigated later. In the face of failure, they persevered and turned their investment into a lucrative venture.

Henry S. Bryan
3M founder and first president; Two Harbors, Minn., resident and chief of Motive Power at the Duluth and Iron Range Railroad

 

 

Hermon W. Cable
3M founder, first general manager and second vice president; meat market proprietor and Two Harbors, Minn., resident

 

 

John Dwan
3M founder and first secretary; prominent Two Harbors, Minn., attorney and resident

 

 

William A. McGonagle
3M founder and first treasurer; resident of Duluth, Minn., and vice president of Duluth, Missabe and Northern Railroad

 

 

Dr. J. Danley Budd
3M founder and first vice president; Two Harbors, Minn., general physician and chief surgeon for the Duluth and Iron Range Railroad