Elbert Henry Gary (October 8, 1846 – August 15, 1927) was an
American lawyer, county judge and corporate officer. He was a key founder of
U.S. Steel in 1901, bringing together partners
J. P. Morgan,
Andrew Carnegie, and
Charles M. Schwab. The city of
Gary, Indiana, a steel town, was named for him when it was founded in 1906. When
trust busting President
Theodore Roosevelt said that Gary was head of the steel trust, Gary considered it a compliment. Gary, West Virginia was also named after him. The two men communicated in a nonconfrontational way unlike Roosevelt's communications with leaders of other trusts.