Founder Profile
James Gamble
Last reviewed: October 2026 · By Swet Parvadiya
Who is James Gamble?
James Gamble is a founder of The Procter & Gamble Company, which was founded in 1837 with William Procter.
- Company founded
- The Procter & Gamble Company
- Founded
- 1837
- Co-founders
- William Procter
Background
James Gamble trained as a soap maker and knew the chemistry of processing lye and fats. That knowledge was the basis of Procter & Gamble's first soap products.
Founding Story
James Gamble was an Irish-born soap maker in Cincinnati who joined William Procter in 1837 to form Procter & Gamble. He concentrated on soap formulation and efficient production, and the company later launched Ivory Soap, known for floating in water. His attention to product purity and manufacturing scale shaped the company's early household products.
James Gamble was born in 1803 in Enniskillen. Education: Kenyon College.
Gamble was born on April 3, 1803 and died on April 29, 1891. William Procter, an English candlemaker, was his brother-in-law.