BRITTON, BRIGHAM (20 June 1907 - 12 Nov.1979) was a businessman and philanthropist who helped found and was board chairman of CARLON PRODUCTS CORP., the first American company to produce plastic pipe. He also helped establish the BRITTON FUND.
Born in Cleveland to Charles S. and Ann (Brigham) B., Britton graduated from UNIVERSITY SCHOOL (1925) and Yale University (1929). Britton worked briefly in his father's printing business while establishing his own company. On 1 May 1929 Britton and his brother, Philip, (with help from Chas. Britton and attorney George Quinn) started Carter Products Corp. to make metal specialties. In the 1940's they switched to plastics and pioneered the extrusion field. Carter Products became the first company in America to make the lightweight plastic pipe used widely by oil and gas industries. Much of the special machinery and equipment used for making plastic pipe and fittings was designed by Philip Britton.
On 9 Aug. 1950 Carter became Carlon Products Corp. to match the plastic pipe's trade name, and by that time it had become the world's largest manufacturer of plastic pipe. Britton remained Carlon's president until 1957 when he chaired the board. Britton retired in 1959. On 4 May 1986 Carlon became a division of the Lamson & Sessions Co.
In 1952 Britton helped establish the Britton Fund to support charitable organizations, particularly the United Way Services, and other social agencies, education, hospitals, health services and youth agencies.
Britton married Gertrude Haskell (see GERTRUDE HASKELL BRITTON) on 10 Oct. 1931. They had two sons: Charles S. and Coburn H. Britton was Episcopalean, lived in BRATENAHL and is inurned in LAKE VIEW CEMETERY.