The Delta faucet, a washerless ball valve design that allowed for single-handed operation, transformed the plumbing industry under the leadership of Alex Manoogian. Born in 1901 in Smyrna, he navigated the collapse of the Ottoman Empire and the Armenian Genocide, eventually establishing Masco Corporation in Detroit, a business that would grow into a multi-billion dollar entity.
From Machinist to Industrialist
Manoogian arrived in the United States in 1920, settling first in Bridgeport, Connecticut, where he gained initial experience as a machinist. By 1924, he moved to Detroit to participate in the regional automotive boom. In 1929, he founded the Masco Screw Company. Through strategic manufacturing, he scaled the business throughout the Great Depression, successfully listing it on the New York Stock Exchange by 1936. As president from 1953 to 1989, he oversaw the development of the Delta faucet, which captured 38 percent of the domestic market by 1995, generating substantial corporate revenue.
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Manoogian maintained a lifelong commitment to the Armenian Diaspora through the Armenian General Benevolent Union, where he served as Life President starting in 1970. He established the Alex and Marie Manoogian Cultural Fund in 1968 with a $1 million endowment to support the translation and publication of scholarly works. His philanthropic reach extended to founding schools in locations including Southfield, Beirut, Buenos Aires, Sydney, and Tehran, while also providing significant financial support to Wayne State University.
Civic Contributions and Legacy
Beyond his corporate success, Manoogian engaged in various public roles. In 1940, he was elected Avak Sparapet of the Knights of Vartan. He and his wife, Marie Tatian, donated their private mansion to the city of Detroit in 1966 for use as the official mayoral residence. Later in his life, he received the Ellis Island Medal of Honor in 1990 and was designated a National Hero of Armenia in 1994, becoming the first individual residing outside of Armenia to receive this status.
Death and Reinterment
Following the death of his wife in 1993, Manoogian died in Detroit in 1996 at age 95. Although originally interred in Woodlawn Cemetery, their remains were moved in 2007. The couple was reinterred with state honors at the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin in Armenia, located near the Treasury House Museum, which they had funded in 1982.
Fast facts
- Born: 1901, Smyrna
- Died: 1996, Detroit
- Primary Enterprise: Masco
- President of Masco: 1953-1989
- National Hero of Armenia: 1994
- Ellis Island Medal of Honor: 1990
- Citizenship: United States; Armenia
Questions readers ask
What invention was central to Masco's growth?
The Delta faucet, a washerless ball valve that enabled one-handed control of water flow.
Where did the Manoogians donate their private residence?
They donated their mansion to the city of Detroit, where it serves as the official residence for the mayor.
Achievements
- Ellis Island Medal of Honor — 1990
- Affiliated with Masco