Howard Avery

Howard S. Avery was the gifted engineer behind many of the American Brake Shoe’s breakthroughs. He was originally born in Colorado, in Canon City. When Howard was 11, his family moved to Roanoke Virginia. He went on to earn 2 degrees from Virginia Polytechnic Institute in 1927 and 1928. One was a B.S. in Mining and Engineering, and the latter degree was in Engineer of Mines. He graduated at the top of his class. After getting his degree, he spent some time working on engineering projects in Mexico, before joining American Break Shoe in 1934. It was at that point that he moved to Mahwah NJ, and subsequently became an active resident of Mahwah.

Howard Avery held several patents for ABEX, mostly in the field of metallurgy. His work in metallurgy and welding research gave him international recognition, which would later win him a Lincoln award in 1950. He was especially interested in producing various heat and stress resistant metal alloys, as they related to his love of welding. He was an honored member of the American Welding Society, as well as many other engineering societies.

Howard Avery was not just known for his professional work. He was very involved in the Mahwah community, and a member of the Mahwah Board of Education, eventually becoming the president of the Board. He also was a Boy Scout troop leader, and taught riflery to his boy scouts. Another one of his hobbies was radio, and he used his knowledge of radio systems to contribute as the head of Mahwah’s Civil Defense. This was an important issue during the Cold War, where Howard Avery educated Mahwah on protection from radiation and other precautions, in case of an attack by the Soviet Union.

Howard Avery lived a long and fulfilling life, with his wife Louise Steele, who he married in 1935. Louise died in 1985 at the age of 80, while Howard went on to live a little longer, finally passing away in 1996. He was age 90 at his death. Most of his research was donated to Virginia Tech, while other documents were donated to the Mahwah Museum.