Great American Business Leaders of the 20th Century
106
Results
Kenneth S. Adams
Phillips Petroleum Company, 1938–1951
Phillips Petroleum Company, 1938–1951
Winthrop W. Aldrich
Chase National Bank, 1930–1953
Chase National Bank, 1930–1953
Howard L. Aller
American Power and Light Company, 1935–1951
American Power and Light Company, 1935–1951
Beatrice F. Auerbach
G. Fox & Company, 1938–1965
G. Fox & Company, 1938–1965
Sewell L. Avery
Montgomery, Ward and Company, 1936–1955
Montgomery, Ward and Company, 1936–1955
Stephen D. Bechtel
Betchel Corporation, 1935–1960
Betchel Corporation, 1935–1960
Garner A. Beckett
American Cement Corporation, 1936–1957
American Cement Corporation, 1936–1957
Arnold O. Beckman
Beckman Instruments, 1935–1982
Beckman Instruments, 1935–1982
Sosthenes Behn
International Telephone and Telegraph, 1933–1956
International Telephone and Telegraph, 1933–1956
Robert F. Bensinger
Brunswick, 1930–1963
Brunswick, 1930–1963
John D. Biggers
Libbey-Owens-Ford Glass Company, 1930–1953
Libbey-Owens-Ford Glass Company, 1930–1953
Harold Boeschenstein
Owens-Corning Fiberglass Company, 1938–1963
Owens-Corning Fiberglass Company, 1938–1963
J. Chadbourn Bolles
Chadbourn, 1936–1970
Chadbourn, 1936–1970
Thomas E. Braniff
Braniff Airways, 1930–1954
Braniff Airways, 1930–1954
Alvin G. Brush
American Home Products, 1935–1965
American Home Products, 1935–1965
Arde Bulova
Bulova Watch Company, 1930–1958
Bulova Watch Company, 1930–1958
Leo Burnett
Leo Burnett Company, 1935–1971
Leo Burnett Company, 1935–1971
Curtis L. Carlson
Gold Bond Stamp Company / Carlson Companies, 1938–1998
Gold Bond Stamp Company / Carlson Companies, 1938–1998
Louis S. Cates
Phelps-Dodge Company, 1930–1947
Phelps-Dodge Company, 1930–1947
Martin W. Clement
Pennsylvania Railroad Company, 1935–1948
Pennsylvania Railroad Company, 1935–1948
Samuel B. Colgate
Colgate-Palmolive Company, 1933–1938
Colgate-Palmolive Company, 1933–1938
John L. Collyer
B. F. Goodrich Company, 1939–1953
B. F. Goodrich Company, 1939–1953
Herman Cone II
Cone Mills Corporation, 1938–1950
Cone Mills Corporation, 1938–1950
Charles L. Coughlin
Briggs & Stratton Corporation, 1935–1970
Briggs & Stratton Corporation, 1935–1970
Frederick C. Crawford
Thompson Products, 1933–1958
Thompson Products, 1933–1958
Richard J. Cullen
International Paper Company, 1936–1948
International Paper Company, 1936–1948
Bernard M. Culver
Continental Insurance Company, 1932–1946
Continental Insurance Company, 1932–1946
Nathan Cummings
Consolidated Foods, 1939–1975
Consolidated Foods, 1939–1975
C. Donald Dallas
Revere Copper and Brass, 1931–1947
Revere Copper and Brass, 1931–1947
Richard R. Deupree
Procter & Gamble Company, 1930–1948
Procter & Gamble Company, 1930–1948
Alfred B. Dick Jr.
A. B. Dick and Company, 1934–1947
A. B. Dick and Company, 1934–1947
Arthur C. Dorrance
Campbell Soup Company, 1930–1946
Campbell Soup Company, 1930–1946
Willard H. Dow
Dow Chemical Corporation, 1930–1947
Dow Chemical Corporation, 1930–1947
Victor Emanuel
AVCO, 1939–1960
AVCO, 1939–1960
Max (Francis) Factor, Jr.
Max Factor Company, 1938–1973
Max Factor Company, 1938–1973
Benjamin F. Fairless
United States Steel Corporation, 1935–1953
United States Steel Corporation, 1935–1953
William S. Farish
Standard Oil of New Jersey, 1937–1942
Standard Oil of New Jersey, 1937–1942
Herman G. Fisher
Fisher-Price Toy Company, 1930–1966
Fisher-Price Toy Company, 1930–1966
Clarence Francis
General Foods Corporation, 1935–1943
General Foods Corporation, 1935–1943
Jack Frye
Trans-World Airlines, 1934–1947
Trans-World Airlines, 1934–1947
Walter D. Fuller
Curtis Publishing Company, 1933–1957
Curtis Publishing Company, 1933–1957
Ernest Gallo
Gallo (E. & J.) Winery, 1933–1993
Gallo (E. & J.) Winery, 1933–1993
Arthur G. Gaston
Booker T. Washington Insurance, 1932–1987
Booker T. Washington Insurance, 1932–1987
Lawrence M. Giannini
Bank of America, 1936–1952
Bank of America, 1936–1952
Tom M. Girdler
Republic Steel Corporation, 1930–1937
Republic Steel Corporation, 1930–1937
Albert H. Gordon
Kidder, Peabody Group, 1931–1968
Kidder, Peabody Group, 1931–1968
James A. Gray, Jr.
R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company, 1935–1949
R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company, 1935–1949
Robert E. Gross
Lockheed Aircraft Corporation, 1934–1956
Lockheed Aircraft Corporation, 1934–1956
Ray W. Herrick
Tecumseh Products, 1930–1972
Tecumseh Products, 1930–1972
Leon Hess
Amerada Hess, 1933–1995
Amerada Hess, 1933–1995
Andrew J. Higgins
Higgins Industries, 1930–1952
Higgins Industries, 1930–1952
Paul G. Hoffman
Studebaker Corporation, 1935–1948
Studebaker Corporation, 1935–1948
Charles R. Hook
Armco Steel Company, 1930–1948
Armco Steel Company, 1930–1948
Amory Houghton
Corning Glass Company, 1930–1960
Corning Glass Company, 1930–1960
Howard R. Hughes, Jr.
Hughes Aircraft Company, 1933–1976
Hughes Aircraft Company, 1933–1976
Haroldson L. Hunt
Hunt Oil Company, 1936–1974
Hunt Oil Company, 1936–1974
Robert W. Johnson, Jr.
Johnson & Johnson Company, 1932–1938
Johnson & Johnson Company, 1932–1938
Jesse H. Jones
Reconstruction Finance Corporation, 1933–1939
Reconstruction Finance Corporation, 1933–1939
Daniel C. Keefe
Ingersoll-Rand Company, 1936–1954
Ingersoll-Rand Company, 1936–1954
Kaufman T. Keller
Chrysler Corporation, 1935–1950
Chrysler Corporation, 1935–1950
John S. (Jack) Knight
Knight-Ridder Corporation, 1933–1969
Knight-Ridder Corporation, 1933–1969
Herbert V. Kohler
Kohler Company, 1937–1968
Kohler Company, 1937–1968
Edwin H. Land
Polaroid Corporation, 1937–1980
Polaroid Corporation, 1937–1980
William P. Lear
Lear, 1939–1967
Lear, 1939–1967
Eli Lilly II
Eli Lilly & Company, 1932–1969
Eli Lilly & Company, 1932–1969
Leroy A. Lincoln
Metropolitan Life Insurance Company, 1936–1951
Metropolitan Life Insurance Company, 1936–1951
Daniel K. Ludwig
National Bulk Carriers, 1936–1987
National Bulk Carriers, 1936–1987
John H. MacMillan, Jr.
Cargill, 1936–1960
Cargill, 1936–1960
David H. McConnell, Jr.
Avon Products, 1937–1944
Avon Products, 1937–1944
James S. McDonnell
McDonnell Aircraft Corporation, 1939–1967
McDonnell Aircraft Corporation, 1939–1967
Richard K. Mellon
Mellon National Bank, 1934–1946
Mellon National Bank, 1934–1946
Theodore G. Montague
Borden, 1937–1955
Borden, 1937–1955
Ernest E. Norris
Southern Railway System, 1937–1952
Southern Railway System, 1937–1952
John K. Northrop
Northrop Aircraft, 1937–1959
Northrop Aircraft, 1937–1959
David Packard
Hewlett-Packard Company, 1939–1968
Hewlett-Packard Company, 1939–1968
William A. Patterson
United Airlines, 1934–1963
United Airlines, 1934–1963
Milton J. Petrie
Petrie Stores, 1932–1993
Petrie Stores, 1932–1993
Elmer F. Pierson
The Vendo Company, 1937–1974
The Vendo Company, 1937–1974
Robert A. Pinkerton II
Pinkerton's, 1930–1966
Pinkerton's, 1930–1966
Charles H. Revson
Revlon, 1932–1974
Revlon, 1932–1974
Edward V. Rickenbacker
Eastern Airlines, 1938–1953
Eastern Airlines, 1938–1953
Willard F. Rockwell
Rockwell International, 1933–1967
Rockwell International, 1933–1967
Henry A. Roemer
Sharon Steel Corporation, 1931–1957
Sharon Steel Corporation, 1931–1957
James W. Rouse
Rouse Company, 1939–1979
Rouse Company, 1939–1979
Joseph P. Routh
Pittston Company, 1939–1976
Pittston Company, 1939–1976
Margaret F. Rudkin
Pepperidge Farm, 1937–1960
Pepperidge Farm, 1937–1960
David Sarnoff
Radio Corporation of America, 1930–1966
Radio Corporation of America, 1930–1966
John G. Searle
Searle (G. D.) and Company, 1936–1972
Searle (G. D.) and Company, 1936–1972
Robert F. Six
Continental Airlines, 1938–1980
Continental Airlines, 1938–1980
Matthew S. Sloan
Missouri-Kansas-Texas Lines, 1933–1944
Missouri-Kansas-Texas Lines, 1933–1944
Cyrus R. Smith
American Airlines, 1934–1968
American Airlines, 1934–1968
Joseph P. Spang, Jr.
Gillette Company, 1938–1955
Gillette Company, 1938–1955
Harold Stanley
Morgan, Stanley and Company, 1935–1955
Morgan, Stanley and Company, 1935–1955
Elbridge H. Stuart
Carnation Company, 1932–1971
Carnation Company, 1932–1971
Gustavus F. Swift, Jr.
Swift and Company, 1931–1937
Swift and Company, 1931–1937
Joe C. Thompson, Jr.
Southland Corporation, 1931–1961
Southland Corporation, 1931–1961
Erwin C. Uihlein
Schlitz Brewing Company, 1933–1961
Schlitz Brewing Company, 1933–1961
Guy W. Vaughan
Curtiss-Wright Aircraft Company, 1935–1949
Curtiss-Wright Aircraft Company, 1935–1949
Charles R. Walgreen, Jr.
Walgreen Company, 1939–1969
Walgreen Company, 1939–1969
Dwane L. Wallace
Cessna Aircraft Company, 1936–1975
Cessna Aircraft Company, 1936–1975
Walter H. Wheeler, Jr.
Pitney-Bowes, 1938–1971
Pitney-Bowes, 1938–1971
Carl E. Wickman
Greyhound Corporation, 1930–1946
Greyhound Corporation, 1930–1946
Langbourne M. Williams, Jr.
Freeport Sulphur Company, 1933–1958
Freeport Sulphur Company, 1933–1958
Horace C. Wright
Sunbeam Corporation, 1935–1961
Sunbeam Corporation, 1935–1961
Robert R. Young
Chesapeake and Ohio Railway Company, 1937–1954
Chesapeake and Ohio Railway Company, 1937–1954
Samuel M. Zemurray
United Fruit Company, 1938–1951
United Fruit Company, 1938–1951
Heavy government influence; Great Depression; union progress; technology adaptation; migration
- Demographics
Influence: Medium-Low -
Westward migration of midwestern farmers and laborers for employment and better climate
Massive dust storms uproot millions
Smallest ten-year increase in population: 123-132 million
- Technology
Influence: Medium -
Advances in aviation
Nylon
Fiberglass
Instant photography
Air-conditioning begins to realize commercial potential
- Social Mores
Influence: Medium -
Escapism in radio serials
Prohibition repealed
Golden age of movies
- Government Intervention
Influence: High -
The New Deal
Commercial and investment banking separated
Reconstruction Finance Corp. created to combat bank and business failures
Introduction of Federal Deposit Insurance
SEC established
Federal regulations prohibit false advertising
- Labor
Influence: High -
Unemployment peaks at 25%
Unions surge, adding 7 million members in a single year
Sit-down strikes at GM and other auto makers
Government work programs launched: CCC, PWA, WPA
CIO union created
NLRB created
Fair Labor Standards Act sets minimum wage
- Global Events
Influence: Medium-Low -
Increased tariff protection through Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act
Continued isolationism
