Charles Francis Brush (March 17, 1849 – June 15, 1929) was a U.S. inventor, entrepreneur and philanthropist.
Born in Euclid Township, Ohio, Brush was raised on a farm about 10 miles from downtown Cleveland. Brush attended Central High School in Cleveland where he built his first arc light, and graduated there with honors in 1867. He received his college education from the University of Michigan, where he studied mining engineering and graduated in 1869. At Michigan, Brush was a member of Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity (Omicron chapter).
In 1880, he established the Brush Electric Company. Thomson-Houston bought out Brush in 1889 and eventually merged to become part of General Electric in 1891. After selling his interests in Brush Electric, Brush never returned to the electric industry.
