John Francis Queeny (August 17, 1859 – March 19, 1933) born in Chicago, founded the Monsanto Company in St. Louis, Missouri, as Monsanto Chemical Works, on November 30, 1901, with $5,000. He attended school for 6 years until the Great Chicago Fire forced him, at the age of 12, to look for full-time employment, which he found with Tolman and King for $2.50 per week.He moved to St.