Dodge, William E(arl)

(born Sept. 4, 1805, Hartford, Conn., U.S.—died Feb. 9, 1883, New York, N.Y.) U.S. mining entrepreneur. He was a dry-goods merchant in Hartford, Conn., before founding the metal dealership Phelps, Dodge & Co. with his father-in-law, Anson G. Phelps, in 1833. They soon established a prosperous metal-importing business. Dodge made numerous other investments in timberland, mills, and iron and copper mines. After purchasing the Copper Queen mine in Arizona in 1882, the company became a major U.S. mining concern. Further acquisitions and diversifications have made Phelps Dodge Corp. one of the world's largest copper producers.

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