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Great American Business Leaders of the 20th Century

 
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109 Results
Leonard Abramson
US Healthcare, 1975–1996
Louis F. Bantle
UST, 1973–1993
Howard O. Beaver, Jr.
Carpenter Technology Corporation, 1971–1983
Michel C. Bergerac
Revlon, 1975–1985
Henry W. Bloch
H & R Block, 1978–1992
John C. Bogle
The Vanguard Group, 1974–1995
Joseph A. Boyd
Harris Corporation, 1972–1986
Joseph D. Brenner
AMP, 1972–1982
Charles L. Brown
American Telephone and Telegraph, 1979–1986
John W. Brown
Stryker Corporation, 1977–2004
John H. Bryan, Jr.
Sara Lee Corporation, 1975–2000
James E. Burke
Johnson & Johnson Company, 1976–1989
Thomas J. Burrell
Burrell Advertising, 1971–2003
Philip Caldwell
Ford Motor Company, 1979–1985
Edward E. Carlson
United Airlines, 1971–1979
Frank T. Cary
IBM, 1973–1981
Elisabeth Claiborne
Liz Claiborne, 1976–1989
Ben Cohen
Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream, 1978–1994
William K. Coors
Adolph Coors Brewing Company, 1970–1993
Helen K. Copley
Copley Newspapers, 1973–1997
Robert F. Dee
SmithKline Corporation, 1972–1982
Robert E. Dewar
K-Mart Corporation, 1972–1979
Harrington Drake
Dun & Bradstreet Corporation, 1975–1984
Richard J. Egan
EMC Corporation, 1979–1991
Lawrence J. Ellison
Oracle Corporation, 1977–Present
Walter A. Fallon
Eastman Kodak Company, 1972–1983
Debra J. S. Fields
Mrs. Fields Cookies, 1977–1996
Paul Fireman
Reebok International, 1979–2006
Edward A. Fox
Student Loan Marketing Association, 1973–1990
William H. Gates III
Microsoft Corporation, 1975–2000
Richard L. Gelb
Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, 1972–1994
James H. Goodnight
SAS Institute, 1976–Present
Earl G. Graves
Black Enterprise Magazine, 1970–Present
Alan C. Greenberg
Bear Stearns Companies, 1978–1993
Dick Griffey
Dick Griffey Productions, 1977–Present
John P. Harbin
Halliburton, 1972–1982
Edward G. Harness
Procter & Gamble Company, 1974–1981
Lore Harp
Vector Graphics, 1976–1984
C. Michael Harper
ConAgra, 1975–1993
Stephen D. Hassenfeld
Hasbro Toys, 1979–1989
Paul C. Henshaw
Homestake Mining Company, 1971–1982
Raymond H. Herzog
Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing, 1975–1979
Frank G. Hickey
General Instrument Corporation, 1978–1990
Dee Ward Hock
VISA, 1970–1984
John J. Horan
Merck & Company, 1976–1985
Ivan J. Houston
Golden State Insurance, 1970–1990
Harold J. Hudson, Jr.
General Reinsurance Corporation, 1971–1983
Jon M. Huntsman
Huntsman Corporation, 1970–2000
Lido (Lee) A. Iacocca
Chrysler Corporation, 1979–1993
Richard H. Jenrette
Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette, 1973–1985
Featured Profile
Steven P. Jobs

Apple Computer, 1975–1983

Steven P. Jobs
Apple Computer, 1975–1983
Edward C. Johnson III
Fidelity Investments, 1977–Present
Reginald H. Jones
General Electric Company, 1972–1981
Sidney Kimmel
Jones Apparel Group, 1975–2002
Philip H. Knight
Nike, 1972–Present
Charles F. Knight
Emerson Electric Company, 1973–2000
Daniel J. Krumm
Maytag Corporation, 1974–1992
Harvey H. Lamm
Subaru of America, 1971–1990
William E. LaMothe
Kellogg Company, 1979–1991
Joseph E. Lonning
Kellogg Company, 1971–1978
Francisco A. Lorenzo
Texas Air Corporation, 1972–1990
George W. Lucas
Lucasfilm, Limited, 1971–Present
Whitney MacMillan
Cargill, 1976–1995
John C. Malone
Tele-Communications, 1973–1999
Alfred E. Mann
Pacesetter, 1972–1985
Bernard Marcus
Home Depot, 1978–1997
J. Willard Marriott, Jr.
Marriott International, 1972–Present
Thomas W. Mastin
Lubrizol Corporation, 1972–1982
L. Lowry Mays
Clear Channel Communications, 1972–2004
C. Peter McColough
Xerox Corporation, 1971–1985
Harold W. McGraw, Jr.
McGraw-Hill Publishing Company, 1974–1983
Rene C. McPherson
Dana Corporation, 1972–1980
John G. Medlin, Jr.
Wachovia Corporation, 1977–1993
Morton H. Meyerson
Electronic Data Systems, 1979–1985
David W. Mitchell
Avon Products, 1975–1983
Gordon E. Moore
Intel, 1974–1987
Allen H. Neuharth
Gannett Company, 1973–1986
Anthony J. F. O'Reilly
H. J. Heinz Company, 1979–1998
Eugene R. Olson
Deluxe Check Printers, 1977–1985
Michael Ovitz
Creative Artists Agency, 1974–1995
Warren H. Phillips
Dow Jones & Company, 1975–1990
Robert T. Powers
Nalco Chemical Company, 1971–1979
Edmund T. Pratt, Jr.
Pfizer, 1972–1992
Robert E. Price
Price Company, 1976–1993
Barbara G. Proctor
Proctor and Gardner Advertising, 1970–1996
Donald T. Regan
Merrill Lynch & Company, 1971–1980
John M. Regan, Jr.
Marsh & McLennan, 1973–1985
William M. Rosson
Conwood Corporation, 1976–1991
William J. Ruane
Sequoia Fund, 1970–2005
Donald H. Rumsfeld
Searle (G. D.) and Company, 1977–1985
Robert A. Schoellhorn
Abbott Laboratories, 1979–1989
Charles R. Schwab
Charles Schwab & Company, 1971–2003
Irving S. Shapiro
DuPont Corporation, 1974–1981
Vincent R. Shiely
Briggs & Stratton Corporation, 1970–1977
Naomi Sims
Naomi Sims Collections, 1973–1985
Goff Smith
Amsted Industries, 1974–1980
Frederick W. Smith
Federal Express Corporation, 1973–Present
Robert H. Sorensen
Perkin-Elmer, 1977–1984
John G. Sperling
Apollo Group, 1976–2001
Whitney Stevens
J. P. Stevens and Company, 1979–1988
Dwight L. Stuart
Carnation Company, 1973–1983
James G. Treybig
Tandem Computers, 1974–1995
Donald J. Trump
Trump Organization, 1975–Present
Diane S. M. von Furstenberg
Diane von Furstenberg, Ltd, 1970–Present
Charles B. Wang
Computer Associates International, 1976–2000
Kenneth T. Wessner
ServiceMaster Company, 1975–1983
Richard D. Wood
Eli Lilly & Company, 1973–1991
Alan L. Wurtzel
Circuit City Stores, 1973–1986
John A. Young
Hewlett-Packard Company, 1978–1992
Load More

Oil embargo; stagflation; computer technology commercialized; weakening labor; moderate government intervention; massive international competition

Demographics
Influence: Medium-High

Urban blight

Rust Belt

Full Century

Technology
Influence: Medium

Beginning of biotech industry

Fiber-optic wire

Pong (first video game)

UPC bar code

Supercomputer

Full Century

Social Mores
Influence: High

National Organization for Women mobilizes for Equal Rights Amendment

Roe v. Wade legalizes abortion

Social discord continues over Vietnam War and civil rights

Watergate scandal undermines faith in authority

Full Century

Government Intervention
Influence: Medium-High

Deregulation of oil and airline industries

New energy policies and programs

Stagflation cripples economy

Environmental protection weakened

Price controls

Full Century

Labor
Influence: Medium

Wage controls

OSHA created

Service economy expands

Women enter the workforce in large numbers

Full Century

Global Events
Influence: Medium-High

OPEC oil crisis

Vietnam War ends

Iran hostage crisis

Imports outpace exports

Full Century

View Full Century

the 20th Century Zeitgeist

Demographics
  • Demographics
  • Technology
  • Social Mores
  • Government Intervention
  • Labor
  • Global Events
Influence: High
190019

8.8 million immigrants arrive throughout decade

Cities expand

Population grows from 76 to 92 million

Rural Free Delivery routes added

Influence: Medium
10191019

Anti-immigration sentiment peaks during WWI

Great Migration begins as African-Americans relocate from rural South to northern cities

Influence: Medium-High
20192019

Population of urban centers overtakes that of rural communities

Tight immigration restrictions

Increase in divorce rates

Influence: Medium-Low
30193019

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

Influence: Medium-High
40194019

Baby boom begins

Suburbs start to form

Influence: High
50195019

Medical advances extend life expectancy

More people now live in suburbs than cities

Population soars to 179 million

largest ten-year increase

Influence: High
60196019

Baby boom tapers off

Emigration from Asia and Latin America surges

Influence: Medium-High
70197019

Urban blight

Rust Belt

Influence: Medium-High
80198019

Population migrates to West and Southwest

Influence: High
901990

Immigration tops 9 million (largest number since first decade)

Baby boomers age

Hispanics become fastest-growing minority

Population grows from 250 million to 281 million

Influence: Medium-High
190019

Model T

Plastic

Safety razor

Widespread use of steam engine, electricity, and openhearth furnace allows businesses to expand nationwide

Influence: Medium
10191019

First widespread use of auto assembly line

Self-starter increases popularity of automobile

Influence: Medium-High
20192019

KDKA, first radio station

First talking movie,

Influence: Medium
30193019

Advances in aviation

Nylon

Fiberglass

Instant photography

Air-conditioning begins to realize commercial potential

Influence: High
40194019

Planes and ships built in less than a day for the war effort

Atomic bomb

ENIAC computer

Penicillin used extensively to treat soldiers' infections

Synthetic rubberx

Influence: High
50195019

Television sales expand dramatically

Transistors used in portable radios and calculators

Influence: Medium-High
60196019

Man walks on the moon

Color TV market grows

Microchips expand possibilities in electronics industry

Integrated circuit boards replace transistor technology

First ATM installed

Influence: Medium
70197019

Beginning of biotech industry

Fiber-optic wire

Pong (first video game)

UPC bar code

Supercomputer

Influence: Medium-Low
80198019

Software industry booms

PC use expands in scale and scope

CAD/CAM revolutionizes manufacturing

Space shuttle

Influence: Medium-High
901990

Boom in connectivity

Cloning, stem cell research

DVDs

Influence: Medium
190019

Progressivism

The Jungle sparks food and work safety movement

Influence: Low
10191019

Sedition Act

Prohibition begins

Red Scare

Race riots

Influence: Medium-High
20192019

Social divisions arise between rural and urban areas

Women's suffrage

Harlem Renaissance

Rampant bootlegging and organized crime

Influence: Medium
30193019

Escapism in radio serials

Prohibition repealed

Golden age of movies

Influence: Medium-Low
40194019

Patriotism soars

GI Bill

Influence: Medium-Low
50195019

Social conformity

McCarthyism

Membership in organized religion soars

Brown v. Board of Education desegregated public schools>

Influence: Medium-High
60196019

Civil rights movement gain strength

Antiwar sentiment divides electorate

FDA approves oral contraceptive pill

Influence: High
70197019

National Organization for Women mobilizes for Equal Rights Amendment

Roe v. Wade legalizes abortion

Social discord continues over Vietnam War and civil rights

Watergate scandal undermines faith in authority

Influence: Medium-Low
80198019

Moral Majority

"Me" generation

Focus on training and fitness

Income gap widens dramatically

AIDS

Influence: High
901990

Internet "irrational exuberance"

Antigovernment sentiment: Waco standoff; Oklahoma City bombing

Influence: Medium-Low
190019

First significant enforcement of Sherman Antitrust Act

Pure Food and Drug Act; breakup of beef trust

Excise Tax imposed on corporations

Tariff Act forces corporations to open their books for government inspection

Influence: High
10191019

Breakup of Standard Oil and American Tobacco

Clayton Antitrust Act

Federal Reserve Act

First Federal-Aid Highway Act

Federal Trade Commission established

Personal income tax reinstituted

Influence: Low
20192019

U.S. Steel and Alcoa withstand antitrust accusations

Personal and corporate tax rates cut

Airmail service starts

Influence: High
30193019

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

Influence: Low
40194019

Military spending explodes

Graduated income tax, Victory Tax adopted to fund war effort

Rationing

Influence: Medium-Low
50195019

Military spending shifts to nuclear deterrents

Small Business Administration created

Influence: Medium
60196019

Great Society

Consumer and environmental protection movements strengthen

Vehicle Safety Act and Highway Safety Act

Closing merger loophole opens door for conglomerate business model

Influence: Medium-High
70197019

Deregulation of oil and airline industries

New energy policies and programs

Stagflation cripples economy

Environmental protection weakened

Price controls

Influence: Low
80198019

Reaganomics

Heavy defense and deficit spending

Savings and Loan bailout

Chrysler bailout

Breakup of AT&T

Influence: Medium-Low
901990

Family and Medical Leave Act

Americans with Disabilities Act

Welfare reform

Antitrust action initiated against Microsoft

Influence: Medium-Low
190019

Fewer than 500,000 union members

Department of Commerce and Labor created

Influence: Medium
10191019

Ford doubles factory wages and shortens workday

Labor Secretary position created

Worker shortage: Unions double membership and increase wages

Influence: Medium-Low
20192019

Union membership declines sharply

Minimum wage and maximum working hour legislation overturned

Influence: High
30193019

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

Influence: Low
40194019

Rosie the Riveter

Postwar strikes

Productivity surge

Government backlash against postwar union movement

Influence: Medium
50195019

The Organization Man

Union membership peaks

The AFL merges with the CIO: 15 million members

Influence: Medium-High
60196019

Factory automation slashes jobs

Service industry outpaces growth in manufacturing

Civil Rights Act

Equal Pay Act

Unions concentrated in big businesses

Formation of United Farm Workers union

Influence: Medium
70197019

Wage controls

OSHA created

Service economy expands

Women enter the workforce in large numbers

Influence: Medium-Low
80198019

Air traffic controllers' union dismantled

Union representation drops

Information technology redistributes job functions

Influence: Low
901990

Reengineering

Record high employment

Service sector outpaces manufacturing in new job creation

Influence: Low
190019

U.S. begins construction of Panama Canal

Influence: High
10191019

War Industries Board coordinates activities among labor, government, and business for WWI

Cost-plus contracts introduced

Protectionist tariffs reduced

Influence: Medium-Low
20192019

Isolationism

U.S. restores high tariffs

U.S. pushes for debt recovery

Allied nations seek war reparations from Axis powers

Influence: Medium-Low
30193019

Increased tariff protection through Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act

Continued isolationism

Influence: High
40194019

War Production Board readies nation for WWII

U.S. becomes a global power

Creation of IMF and World Bank

Marshall Plan

Cold war begins

Influence: Medium-High
50195019

Cold war escalates

Korean War forces another mobilization effort

Influence: High
60196019

Cold war continues to build

Bay of Pigs invasion; Cuban Missile Crisis

Vietnam War escalates

Influence: Medium-High
70197019

OPEC oil crisis

Vietnam War ends

Iran hostage crisis

Imports outpace exports

Influence: Medium-High
80198019

Berlin wall falls

End of cold war

Iran-Contra Affair

Influence: High
901990

USSR dismantled; ethnic conflicts exposed

Gulf War: real-time TV coverage

Asian financial crisis

NAFTA enacted

European Union forms

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