- Great American Business Leaders of the Twentieth Century
James S. McDonnell
McDonnell Aircraft Corporation
1939 - 1967
Automotive & Aerospace
| Military Service | Air Force |
|---|
b. 1899
| Education |  |
|---|---|
| Undergraduate | Princeton University |
| Graduate | MS, Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
| Personal | |
|---|---|
| Born-Died | 1899 - 1980 |
| Birthplace | Colorado (CO) |
| Race | White |
| Father | Owner, Small Business |
McDonnell built one of the most successful government-contracted industrial space and aircraft production businesses in the U.S. His company produced the Phantom jet fighters, the Mercury Space Capsule, and the Gemini spacecraft. In 1967, he orchestrated the merger with Douglas Aircraft to form McDonnell-Douglas. Starting with one employee and $165,000, his company grew to employ thousands with a revenue base of more than $5 billion.