The DuPont Dynasty

During my latest round of college related news, I was alerted that I was a recipient of the Eugene DuPont memorial scholarship from the University of Delaware; please hold your applause. This scholarship is generous to say the least and will cover me for all four years should I choose to attend the University. I wasn't the only applicant tempted with this generous offer however. The scholarship was awarded to about 25 other students, a whopping amount when the value of the scholarship is considered. This got me thinking about money, but also about the namesake of the scholarship. Who exactly are the DuPonts?

In a modern sense, the DuPont family owns one of the largest and most admired chemical companies in the world. The company was ranked 66th in the Fortune 500 in 2005, raking in no less than $1.8 billion in profits. But in a historical sense, the family has been an influential image of American wealth for decades. In fact, googling "dupont family" generated 31 million hits. Even more interesting? The reccommended search terms associated with the DuPonts: "dupont family murder", "dupont net worth", and "dupont inbreeding". So thus begins a new series in my personal posts: The Duponts.