Great American Business Leaders of the 20th Century
101
Results
Henry C. Alexander
Morgan Guaranty Trust, 1959–1967
Morgan Guaranty Trust, 1959–1967
Desiderio A. Arnaz
Desilu Productions, 1950–1962
Desilu Productions, 1950–1962
Ian K. Ballantine
Ballantine Books, 1952–1974
Ballantine Books, 1952–1974
William M. Batten
JCPenney Company, 1958–1974
JCPenney Company, 1958–1974
Olive Ann M. Beech
Beech Aircraft Corporation, 1950–1968
Beech Aircraft Corporation, 1950–1968
Richard A. Bloch
H & R Block, 1955–1978
H & R Block, 1955–1978
Charles G. Bluhdorn
Gulf and Western, 1958–1983
Gulf and Western, 1958–1983
Marvin Bower
McKinsey & Company, 1950–1967
McKinsey & Company, 1950–1967
Francis Boyer
Smith Kline & French Laboratories, 1951–1958
Smith Kline & French Laboratories, 1951–1958
Herbert P. Buetow
Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing, 1953–1963
Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing, 1953–1963
Richard W. Clark
Dick Clark Productions, 1956–2007
Dick Clark Productions, 1956–2007
Wilton D. Cole
Crowell-Collier Publishing Company, 1956–1963
Crowell-Collier Publishing Company, 1956–1963
John T. Connor
Merck & Company, 1955–1964
Merck & Company, 1955–1964
Ralph J. Cordiner
General Electric Company, 1950–1963
General Electric Company, 1950–1963
Joseph F. Cullman III
Philip Morris Companies, 1957–1979
Philip Morris Companies, 1957–1979
Harry B. Cunningham
S. S. Kresge Company/K Mart, 1959–1972
S. S. Kresge Company/K Mart, 1959–1972
Harlow H. Curtice
General Motors Corporation, 1953–1958
General Motors Corporation, 1953–1958
Arthur J. Decio
Skyline Corporation, 1959–1998
Skyline Corporation, 1959–1998
Richard M. DeVos
Amway Corporation, 1959–1992
Amway Corporation, 1959–1992
Morse G. Dial
Union Carbide Corporation, 1952–1963
Union Carbide Corporation, 1952–1963
Earl B. Dickerson
Supreme Life Insurance Company of America, 1956–1971
Supreme Life Insurance Company of America, 1956–1971
Frederic G. Donner
General Motors Corporation, 1958–1967
General Motors Corporation, 1958–1967
Jack M. Eckerd
Eckerd Corporation, 1952–1974
Eckerd Corporation, 1952–1974
Frank M. Freimann
Magnavox Company, 1950–1967
Magnavox Company, 1950–1967
Robert W. Galvin
Motorola, 1956–1986
Motorola, 1956–1986
Harold S. Geneen
International Telephone and Telegraph, 1959–1977
International Telephone and Telegraph, 1959–1977
Jean Paul Getty
Getty Oil Company, 1956–1976
Getty Oil Company, 1956–1976
Berry Gordy, Jr.
Motown Records Corporation, 1959–1986
Motown Records Corporation, 1959–1986
William B. Graham
Baxter International, 1953–1980
Baxter International, 1953–1980
Bowman Gray, Jr.
R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company, 1957–1967
R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company, 1957–1967
Walter A. Haas, Jr.
Levi Strauss and Company, 1958–1976
Levi Strauss and Company, 1958–1976
Patrick E. Haggerty
Texas Instruments, 1958–1976
Texas Instruments, 1958–1976
Armand Hammer
Occidental Oil Company, 1957–1990
Occidental Oil Company, 1957–1990
Hugh M. Hefner
Playboy Enterprises, 1953–1988
Playboy Enterprises, 1953–1988
Henry F. Henderson, Jr.
Henderson (H. F.) Industries, 1952–Present
Henderson (H. F.) Industries, 1952–Present
John M. Hiebert
Sterling Drug, 1955–1972
Sterling Drug, 1955–1972
Samuel F. Hinkle
Hershey Foods Corporation, 1956–1965
Hershey Foods Corporation, 1956–1965
Herbert W. Hoover, Jr.
Hoover Company, 1954–1966
Hoover Company, 1954–1966
Michael Ilitch
Little Caesar's Enterprises, 1959–Present
Little Caesar's Enterprises, 1959–Present
William Irrgang
Lincoln Electric Company, 1954–1986
Lincoln Electric Company, 1954–1986
Robert H. Johnson
Ingersoll-Rand Company, 1955–1966
Ingersoll-Rand Company, 1955–1966
John E. Jonsson
Texas Instruments, 1951–1958
Texas Instruments, 1951–1958
Ewing M. Kauffman
Marion Laboratories, 1950–1989
Marion Laboratories, 1950–1989
John R. Kimberly
Kimberly-Clark Corporation, 1953–1967
Kimberly-Clark Corporation, 1953–1967
John W. Kluge
Metromedia, 1959–1986
Metromedia, 1959–1986
Raymond A. Kroc
McDonald's Corporation, 1955–1973
McDonald's Corporation, 1955–1973
Alden J. Laborde
Ocean Drilling & Exploration Company, 1953–1977
Ocean Drilling & Exploration Company, 1953–1977
Carl H. Lindner, Jr.
American Financial Group, 1958–Present
American Financial Group, 1958–Present
Ian K. MacGregor
AMAX, 1956–1969
AMAX, 1956–1969
William C. MacInnes
TECO Energy, 1954–1967
TECO Energy, 1954–1967
Plato Malozemoff
Newmont Mining Corporation, 1954–1986
Newmont Mining Corporation, 1954–1986
Morton L. Mandel
Premier Industrial Corporation, 1958–1996
Premier Industrial Corporation, 1958–1996
H. Stanley Marcus
Neiman-Marcus Company, 1950–1969
Neiman-Marcus Company, 1950–1969
Oscar Gustave Mayer
Oscar Mayer and Company, 1955–1966
Oscar Mayer and Company, 1955–1966
John J. McCloy
Chase Manhattan Bank, 1953–1969
Chase Manhattan Bank, 1953–1969
John H. McConnell
Worthington Industries, 1955–1993
Worthington Industries, 1955–1993
Dean A. McGee
Kerr-McGee Corporation, 1954–1983
Kerr-McGee Corporation, 1954–1983
Donald C. McGraw
McGraw-Hill Publishing Company, 1953–1966
McGraw-Hill Publishing Company, 1953–1966
Malcolm P. McLean
Sea-Land Service, 1956–1969
Sea-Land Service, 1956–1969
Howard J. Morgens
Procter & Gamble Company, 1957–1974
Procter & Gamble Company, 1957–1974
Charles G. Mortimer
General Foods Corporation, 1954–1965
General Foods Corporation, 1954–1965
Walter A. Munns
Smith Kline & French Laboratories, 1958–1967
Smith Kline & French Laboratories, 1958–1967
Fred M. Nelson
Texas Gulf Sulphur Company, 1951–1960
Texas Gulf Sulphur Company, 1951–1960
William C. Norris
Control Data Corporation, 1957–1986
Control Data Corporation, 1957–1986
Robert N. Noyce
Fairchild Semiconductor, 1957–1968
Fairchild Semiconductor, 1957–1968
Donald W. Nyrop
Northwest Airlines, 1954–1978
Northwest Airlines, 1954–1978
David M. Ogilvy
Ogilvy & Mather Worldwide, 1954–1975
Ogilvy & Mather Worldwide, 1954–1975
Kenneth H. Olsen
Digital Equipment Corporation, 1957–1992
Digital Equipment Corporation, 1957–1992
Guy S. Peppiatt
Federal Mogul Corporation, 1950–1969
Federal Mogul Corporation, 1950–1969
Franklin P. Perdue
Perdue Farms, 1953–1988
Perdue Farms, 1953–1988
Wallace R. Persons
Emerson Electric Company, 1954–1973
Emerson Electric Company, 1954–1973
Generoso P. Pope, Jr.
National Enquirer, 1952–1988
National Enquirer, 1952–1988
William W. Prince
Armour and Company, 1957–1969
Armour and Company, 1957–1969
Donald N. Pritzker
Hyatt Hotels, 1959–1972
Hyatt Hotels, 1959–1972
Robert A. Pritzker
Marmon Group, 1953–Present
Marmon Group, 1953–Present
Ernesta G. Procope
E. G. Bowman, 1953–Present
E. G. Bowman, 1953–Present
Simon Ramo
Thompson-Ramo-Wooldridge Corporation, 1953–1958
Thompson-Ramo-Wooldridge Corporation, 1953–1958
Lyle C. Roll
Kellogg Company, 1957–1971
Kellogg Company, 1957–1971
Harland Sanders
Kentucky Fried Chicken Company, 1956–1964
Kentucky Fried Chicken Company, 1956–1964
Frederic N. Schwartz
Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, 1957–1967
Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, 1957–1967
Clarence H. Shaver
United States Gypsum, 1951–1966
United States Gypsum, 1951–1966
Elwyn L. Smith
Smith-Corona-Marchant Corporation, 1951–1960
Smith-Corona-Marchant Corporation, 1951–1960
Alfred N. Steele
PepsiCo, 1950–1959
PepsiCo, 1950–1959
Henry Z. Steinway
Steinway and Sons, 1957–1980
Steinway and Sons, 1957–1980
James E. Stowers, Jr.
American Century Companies, 1958–Present
American Century Companies, 1958–Present
Robert A. Stranahan, Jr.
Champion Spark Plug Company, 1955–1986
Champion Spark Plug Company, 1955–1986
Charles D. Tandy
Tandy Corporation, 1950–1978
Tandy Corporation, 1950–1978
Charles B. (Tex) Thornton
Litton Industries, 1953–1961
Litton Industries, 1953–1961
Rose Totino
Totino's Pizza, 1951–1975
Totino's Pizza, 1951–1975
E. Gifford Upjohn
Upjohn Company, 1953–1961
Upjohn Company, 1953–1961
Jay Van Andel
Amway Corporation, 1959–1992
Amway Corporation, 1959–1992
Lillian M. Vernon (Katz)
Lillian Vernon Corporation, 1951–Present
Lillian Vernon Corporation, 1951–Present
Ernest H. Volwiler
Abbott Laboratories, 1950–1958
Abbott Laboratories, 1950–1958
An Wang
Wang Laboratories, 1951–1981
Wang Laboratories, 1951–1981
J. Basil Ward
Addressograph-Multigraph Corporation, 1952–1966
Addressograph-Multigraph Corporation, 1952–1966
Thomas J. Watson, Jr.
IBM, 1955–1971
IBM, 1955–1971
C. Kemmons Wilson
Holiday Inns of America, 1951–1979
Holiday Inns of America, 1951–1979
Henry S. Wingate
International Nickel Corporation, 1954–1960
International Nickel Corporation, 1954–1960
Paul B. Wishart
Honeywell, 1953–1960
Honeywell, 1953–1960
Joseph S. Wright
Zenith Radio Corporation, 1959–1976
Zenith Radio Corporation, 1959–1976
Oscar S. Wyatt, Jr.
Coastal Corporation, 1955–1997
Coastal Corporation, 1955–1997
Baby boom; business growth unfettered by regulations; conservative social norms; labor progress; technology commercialization; Korean War; cold war
- Demographics
Influence: High -
Medical advances extend life expectancy
More people now live in suburbs than cities
Population soars to 179 million
largest ten-year increase
- Technology
Influence: High -
Television sales expand dramatically
Transistors used in portable radios and calculators
- Social Mores
Influence: Medium-Low -
Social conformity
McCarthyism
Membership in organized religion soars
Brown v. Board of Education desegregated public schools>
- Government Intervention
Influence: Medium-Low -
Military spending shifts to nuclear deterrents
Small Business Administration created
- Labor
Influence: Medium -
The Organization Man
Union membership peaks
The AFL merges with the CIO: 15 million members
- Global Events
Influence: Medium-High -
Cold war escalates
Korean War forces another mobilization effort
