J. R. McWane

James Ransom McWane (August 15, 1869 – June 24, 1933) was an American industrialist and founder of McWane, Inc., which was based in Birmingham, Alabama. Today, it is one of the world’s largest manufacturers of cast iron pipes.

McWane was born in Virginia, where his father operated a foundry business. An 1891 graduate of Bethany College, he was recruited by the Birmingham Steel and Iron Company and moved to Alabama in 1903. The following year, he oversaw the construction of Vulcan, the largest cast iron statue in the world, for the 1904 World's Fair in St. Louis, Missouri. In 1908, McWane joined John Eagan's ACIPCO as a senior executive. While on business in Chicago, he died from a heart attack in 1933.