Roy Arthur Hunt

Roy Arthur Hunt
Born	(1881-08-03)August 3, 1881 Nashua, United States
Died	October 21, 1966(1966-10-21) (aged 85) Pittsburgh
Resting place	Allegheny Cemetery
Alma mater	Yale University
Occupation	Business executive
Known for	Being one of the richest Americans
Title	President and executive committee chairman of the Aluminum Company of America

Roy Arthur Hunt (August 3, 1881 - October 21, 1966) was an American multi-millionaire and president of the American aluminium company Alcoa. He accumulated a personal net worth of between $100 and $200 million by the end of his life, making him one of the wealthiest Americans ever. ^[1]

Early Life

Roy was born in 1881, to Captain Alfred Epher Hunt (1855-1899) and Maria Tyler McQuesten (18??-1939). His father, Alfred was a graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and died of Malaria which he contracted during the Spanish-American War. ^[2]

Roy attended Yale University for three years.

Career

He got a job as a machinist’s helper and later a mill clerk in the New Kensington Alcoa plant in 1903. By 1907, Roy was an assistant superintendent and in 1914 he joined Alcoa’s board of directors and served as General Superintendent of the company’s fabricating plants.

The company saw massive improvement during this time due to America's involvement in World War I and Roy became the company's vice president in 1918, in 1928 he became the company's president.

Roy held the position from 1928 to 1951, when he became chairman of the executive committee, a position he held until 1963. ^{[3] [4] [5] [6]}  

While being president of Alcoa, he was also a director of Mellon National Bank and Trust Company, the National Union Fire Insurance Company, and Pittsburgh Testing Laboratory. He held honorary degrees from the University of Pittsburgh, Oberlin College, and Grove City College. He was a trustee of Magee Women’s Hospital, the Pittsburgh Skin and Cancer Foundation, Grove City College, Carnegie Institute of Technology, Allegheny Cemetery (where he was buried) and was the founder of the Roy A. Hunter Foundation. ^[1]

Death

Roy remained a member of the Alcoa Board of Directors until his death on October 21, 1966. ^{[7] [8]}

References

1. "Roy A. Hunt | Roy A. Hunt Foundation" . Retrieved December 14, 2025.
2. "Alfred E. Hunt | Roy A. Hunt Foundation" . Retrieved December 13, 2025.
3. "Image 1 of Pick and shovel (Bauxite, Ark.), October 1, 1953". Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. 20540 USA. Retrieved December 14, 2025.
4. "Image 2 of Pick and shovel (Bauxite, Ark.), March 1, 1946". Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. 20540 USA. Retrieved December 14, 2025.
5. "[Article]". The Washington daily news. June 7, 1935. p. 8. Retrieved December 14, 2025.
6. "[Article]". Evening star. August 13, 1934. p. 2. ISSN   2331-9968. OCLC   2260929 . Retrieved December 14, 2025.
7. "Image 3 of Pick and shovel (Bauxite, Ark.), July 1, 1951". Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. 20540 USA. Retrieved December 14, 2025.
8. "Roy A. Hunt Dies in Pittsburgh; Former President of Alcoa, 85; Founder's Son Who Grew Up With Concern Guided It From 1928 to 1963 (Published 1966)". October 22, 1966. Archived from the original on July 21, 2023. Retrieved December 14, 2025.