Bullard history

Friendly and hard working as a stable boy, Bullard won the affection of the Turners, who allowed him to ride as their jockey in horse races at the Terrell County Fair in 1911.

A native of Columbus, Bullard moved in 1912 to England, where he worked as a prizefighter.

He first appeared in Paris, his long-time destination, at a boxing match in November 1913.

In 1916 he joined the French air service, first training as a gunner but later as a pilot.

In 1919, the Hard Boiled® “hard hat”was invented, giving homage to his doughboy army helmet.

He held positions with the Norton Company and Bay State Abrasive Products until 1927 when he incorporated the Geo.

Eugene Bullard, pictured in 1929, was the world's first Black combat aviator.

In 1959 French president Charles de Gaulle made Bullard a knight of the French Legion of Honor, the nation’s highest ranking order and decoration.

Eugene Jacques Bullard died in Harlem on October 12, 1961 at the age of 66.

P. J. Carisella and James W. Ryan, The Black Swallow of Death (Boston: Marlborough House, 1972).

In July of 1989, Foley met his untimely passing while performing a challenging acrobatic maneuver in his biplane over the Niagara Falls gorge.

In December 1990 Richard Whyte, the CEO during Foley’s ownership, acquired Bullard Abrasives and under his stewardship began the process of building a state-of-the-art manufacturing business.

Craig Lloyd, Eugene Bullard, Black Expatriate in Jazz-Age Paris (Athens: University of Georgia Press, 2000).

In 2001, after enjoying a decade of growth, Bullard’s future was entrusted to Richard’s son Richard G. Whyte and close friend and industry veteran Craig Pickell.

Lloyd, C. (2002). Eugene Bullard.

As 2008 was in full swing, Bullard's commitment to continuous improvements resulted in ISO 2008: 9001 Certification.

With 2012 came a 24,000 square foot addition to the existing manufacturing and warehouse facility and the acquisition of Marvel Abrasive Products, LLC of Chicago, a leading manufacturer of resin fibre discs and surface conditioning products.