Founder Profile
William G. Irwin
Last reviewed: October 2026 · By Swet Parvadiya
Who is William G. Irwin?
William G. Irwin is a founder of Cummins Inc., which was founded in 1919 with Clessie Lyle Cummins.
- Company founded
- Cummins Inc.
- Founded
- 1919
- Co-founders
- Clessie Lyle Cummins
Background
Banker and industrialist from a prominent Columbus, Indiana family; Cummins' principal investor from 1919 through its first profitable year in 1937.
Founding Story
William Glanton Irwin was a Columbus, Indiana banker and businessman who employed Clessie Cummins as a chauffeur and mechanic and became the financial backer of the Cummins Engine Company in 1919. He kept funding the company through nearly two decades of losses, including the Great Depression, until it turned profitable in 1937. Irwin's family stayed central to Cummins: his grand-nephew J. Irwin Miller joined in 1934 and led the company for more than four decades, turning it into a global engine maker. (Exact birth year remains publicly undisclosed).
Sources
This profile does not yet cite a source specific to William G. Irwin. The sources below document the company company rather than the person, so check them against the claims above.
- Cummins FY2025 SEC Form 10-K (Cummins Inc.)
- Cummins Reports Strong Fourth Quarter and Full-Year 2025 Results (Cummins Inc.)