Hamilton Macfarland Barksdale (1861-1918) became general manager of the Repauno Chemical Co. in 1892. In 1895 this company, the Hercules Powder Co. (Cleveland, Ohio), and the Atlantic Dynamite Co., formerly the Atlantic Giant Powder Co. (Kenvil, New Jersey), were merged to form the Eastern Dynamite Co., a holding company of which Barksdale became president. He joined E. I. du Pont de Nemours & Co. in 1902, with a major role in the production of high explosives. In 1906 he became a vice president and, in 1911, general manager. His greatest contribution was in developing a systematic approach to management and in creating the Executive Committee, one of the earliest of its kind in the industry, to formulate policies, objectives, and controls over diverse operations. He coordinated the numerous newly acquired enterprises of the company during the period from 1902 to 1914 and established the Development Department to explore new fields, find new outlets for products, and make the company less dependent on outside sources of supply. With the approach of World War I, Barksdale developed plans to extract nitrogen from the air as a basis for nitric acid, one of the elements in the manufacture of explosives. He also improved methods for transporting explosives and established safety zones for powder plants and magazines. The High Explosives Operating Department, Eastern Laboratory, and the Experimental Station all emerged as a result of his efforts.

Hamilton Barksdale (1861-1918) was born in Richmond, Virginia. He graduated from the University of Virginia in 1882 with a degree in civil engineering. Barksdale joined the engineering corps of the B&O railroad in 1885. In 1890 he went to work at the Repauno Chemical Company. When Repauno became part of E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Co. in 1895, Barksdale was named head of the DuPont Company's Explosives Department. In 1911 he was named general manager, and the next year, he was appointed to the finance and executive committees. Throughout his career at DuPont, Barksdale was involved in the High Explosives Operating Department's research and development effort. He was also responsible for introducing scientific management to the company's manufacturing departments.