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Great American Business Leaders of the 20th Century

 
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162 Results
Terrence E. Adderley
Kelly Services, 1967–Present
Walter H. Annenberg
Triangle Publications, 1942–1968
J. Ogden Armour
Armour and Company, 1901–1923
Beatrice F. Auerbach
G. Fox & Company, 1938–1965
Louis F. Bantle
UST, 1973–1993
Frank Batten
Landmark Communications, 1967–1998
Edward Bausch
Bausch and Lomb Company, 1926–1935
Stephen D. Bechtel
Betchel Corporation, 1935–1960
Robert F. Bensinger
Brunswick, 1930–1963
Morgan G. Bulkeley
Aetna Life Insurance Company, 1879–1922
Arde Bulova
Bulova Watch Company, 1930–1958
David Burpee
W. A. Burpee Company, 1917–1970
Charles A. Cannon
Cannon Mills Company, 1921–1971
Gilbert Colgate
Colgate-Palmolive Company, 1920–1928
Samuel B. Colgate
Colgate-Palmolive Company, 1933–1938
Herman Cone II
Cone Mills Corporation, 1938–1950
Peter H. Coors
Adolph Coors Brewing Company, 1993–2000
William K. Coors
Adolph Coors Brewing Company, 1970–1993
Richard T. Crane, Jr.
Crane Company, 1914–1931
Max De Pree
Herman Miller, 1980–1987
Arthur J. Decio
Skyline Corporation, 1959–1998
Alonzo G. Decker, Jr.
Black & Decker Corporation, 1964–1975
Henry S. Dennison
Dennison Manufacturing Company, 1912–1952
Alfred B. Dick Jr.
A. B. Dick and Company, 1934–1947
Otto D. Donnell
Ohio Oil Company, 1927–1948
Nelson Doubleday
Doubleday and Company, 1928–1946
Willard H. Dow
Dow Chemical Corporation, 1930–1947
Lammot du Pont
DuPont Corporation, 1926–1940
Pierre S. du Pont
DuPont Corporation, 1915–1919
Bernard A. Edison
Edison Brothers Stores, 1968–1987
John C. Emery, Jr.
Emery Air Freight, 1968–1987
Lothar W. Faber
Eberhard-Faber Company, 1898–1943
Max (Francis) Factor, Jr.
Max Factor Company, 1938–1973
Edward A. Filene
Filene's, 1908–1928
Harvey S. Firestone, Jr.
Firestone Tire and Rubber Company, 1941–1963
Henry Ford II
Ford Motor Company, 1945–1979
John M. Franklin
United States Lines, 1946–1960
Robert W. Galvin
Motorola, 1956–1986
Stanley C. Gault
Rubbermaid, 1980–1991
Daniel F. Gerber
Gerber Products Company, 1917–1945
Daniel F. Gerber, Jr.
Gerber Products Company, 1945–1974
Jean Paul Getty
Getty Oil Company, 1956–1976
Lawrence M. Giannini
Bank of America, 1936–1952
Bernard F. Gimbel
Gimbel Brothers Department Stores, 1925–1953
Isaac Gimbel
Gimbel Brothers Department Stores, 1894–1925
J. Peter Grace
W. R. Grace and Company, 1945–1992
Katharine M. Graham
Washington Post, 1963–1979
Bowman Gray, Jr.
R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company, 1957–1967
Daniel Guggenheim
American Smelting and Refining Company, 1900–1919
Walter A. Haas
Levi Strauss and Company, 1922–1957
Walter A. Haas, Jr.
Levi Strauss and Company, 1958–1976
John A. Hartford
Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company, 1920–1949
Stephen D. Hassenfeld
Hasbro Toys, 1979–1989
William R. Hearst
American Newspapers, 1887–1937
Christine A. Hefner
Playboy Enterprises, 1988–2001
Howard Heinz
H. J. Heinz Company, 1919–1941
Henry J. Heinz II
H. J. Heinz Company, 1941–1966
George W. Hill
American Tobacco Company, 1925–1946
Louis W. Hill
Great Northern Railroad, 1907–1912
Herbert W. Hoover
Hoover Company, 1922–1954
Herbert W. Hoover, Jr.
Hoover Company, 1954–1966
Jay C. Hormel
Hormel and Company, 1929–1945
Alanson B. Houghton
Corning Glass Company, 1910–1930
Amory Houghton
Corning Glass Company, 1930–1960
Amory Houghton, Jr.
Corning Glass Company, 1964–1982
Ivan J. Houston
Golden State Insurance, 1970–1990
Howard R. Hughes, Jr.
Hughes Aircraft Company, 1933–1976
Herbert F. Johnson
Johnson Wax Company, 1928–1966
Samuel C. Johnson II
Johnson Wax Company, 1966–1979
Edward C. Johnson III
Fidelity Investments, 1977–Present
Robert W. Johnson, Jr.
Johnson & Johnson Company, 1932–1938
Howard B. Keck
Superior Oil Company, 1963–1981
Joseph P. Knapp
Knapp & Company, 1891–1951
John S. (Jack) Knight
Knight-Ridder Corporation, 1933–1969
Herbert V. Kohler
Kohler Company, 1937–1968
Walter J. Kohler
Kohler Company, 1905–1937
Mills B. Lane, Jr.
Citizens & Southern National Bank, 1946–1973
Fred R. Lazarus, Jr.
Federated Department Stores, 1945–1966
Samuel J. Lefrak
Lefrak Organization, 1948–2003
Philip Lehman
Lehman Brothers and Company, 1901–1925
Robert Lehman
Lehman Brothers and Company, 1925–1969
Peter B. Lewis
The Progressive Corporation, 1965–2000
Josiah K. Lilly
Eli Lilly & Company, 1898–1932
Eli Lilly II
Eli Lilly & Company, 1932–1969
Edgar F. Luckenbach, Jr.
Luckenbach Steamship Company, 1960–1974
John H. MacMillan, Jr.
Cargill, 1936–1960
Henry R. Mallory
Atlantic, Gulf and West Indies Steamship Lines, 1907–1915
Thomas F. Manville
Johns-Manville Corporation, 1901–1924
H. Stanley Marcus
Neiman-Marcus Company, 1950–1969
J. Willard Marriott, Jr.
Marriott International, 1972–Present
Forrest E. Mars, Sr.
Mars, 1964–1973
William G. Mather
Cleveland-Cliffs Iron Company, 1890–1940
Oscar Gottfried Mayer
Oscar Mayer and Company, 1928–1955
Oscar Gustave Mayer
Oscar Mayer and Company, 1955–1966
Elmer H. Maytag
Maytag Corporation, 1926–1940
Frederick L. Maytag II
Maytag Corporation, 1940–1960
David H. McConnell, Jr.
Avon Products, 1937–1944
Fowler McCormick
International Harvester Corporation, 1941–1951
Cyrus H. McCormick, Jr.
International Harvester Corporation, 1902–1918
Donald C. McGraw
McGraw-Hill Publishing Company, 1953–1966
Andrew W. Mellon
Mellon National Bank, 1882–1921
Richard K. Mellon
Mellon National Bank, 1934–1946
Ward Melville
Melville Corporation, 1922–1963
George W. Merck
Merck & Company, 1925–1955
Roger Milliken
Milliken & Company, 1947–Present
William L. Moody, Jr.
Moody (W. L.) & Company Bank, 1920–1954
John P. Morgan, Jr.
J. P. Morgan and Company, 1913–1935
Charles S. Mott
Weston-Mott Company, 1903–1913
J. Larry Nichols
Devon Energy Corporation, 1980–Present
Eugene M. Patterson
American Machine and Foundry Company, 1941–1962
Franklin P. Perdue
Perdue Farms, 1953–1988
John H. Pew
Sun Oil Company, 1912–1947
Charles M. Pigott
PACCAR, 1967–1996
Philip W. Pillsbury
Pillsbury Mills, 1940–1952
Robert A. Pinkerton II
Pinkerton's, 1930–1966
Marjorie M. Post
Postum Cereal Company, Limited, 1914–1922
Robert A. Pritzker
Marmon Group, 1953–Present
Donald N. Pritzker
Hyatt Hotels, 1959–1972
William C. Procter
Procter & Gamble Company, 1907–1930
Edgar M. Queeny
Monsanto Chemical Company, 1928–1960
James H. Rand, Jr.
Remington-Rand Company, 1925–1955
Richard S. Reynolds, Jr.
Reynolds Corporation, 1948–1976
Willard F. Rockwell, Jr.
Rockwell International, 1967–1979
Walter E. Sachs
Goldman, Sachs and Company, 1928–1959
John G. Searle
Searle (G. D.) and Company, 1936–1972
Elwyn L. Smith
Smith-Corona-Marchant Corporation, 1951–1960
Charles H. Steinway
Steinway and Sons, 1896–1919
Henry Z. Steinway
Steinway and Sons, 1957–1980
Theodore E. Steinway
Steinway and Sons, 1919–1957
Robert T. B. Stevens
J. P. Stevens and Company, 1929–1974
Whitney Stevens
J. P. Stevens and Company, 1979–1988
William L. Stewart
Union Oil Company, 1914–1930
Robert A. Stranahan, Jr.
Champion Spark Plug Company, 1955–1986
Jack I. Straus
Macy (R. H.) and Company, 1940–1956
Jesse I. Straus
Macy (R. H.) and Company, 1919–1933
Dwight L. Stuart
Carnation Company, 1973–1983
Elbridge H. Stuart
Carnation Company, 1932–1971
John Stuart
Quaker Oats Company, 1922–1956
Robert D. Stuart, Jr.
Quaker Oats Company, 1966–1981
Louis F. Swift
Swift and Company, 1903–1931
Gustavus F. Swift, Jr.
Swift and Company, 1931–1937
Charles D. Tandy
Tandy Corporation, 1950–1978
Seth E. Thomas, Jr.
Seth Thomas Clock Company, 1919–1931
John P. Thompson
Southland Corporation, 1961–1986
Henry R. Towne
Yale and Towne Manufacturing Company, 1868–1916
Donald J. Trump
Trump Organization, 1975–Present
Robert E. (Ted) Turner
Turner Communications, 1963–1996
Erwin C. Uihlein
Schlitz Brewing Company, 1933–1961
E. Gifford Upjohn
Upjohn Company, 1953–1961
Charles R. Walgreen III
Walgreen Company, 1969–1998
Charles R. Walgreen, Jr.
Walgreen Company, 1939–1969
Thomas J. Watson, Jr.
IBM, 1955–1971
George H. Weyerhaeuser
Weyerhaeuser Timber Company, 1966–1999
John P. Weyerhaeuser
Weyerhaeuser Timber Company, 1914–1928
John P. Weyerhaeuser, Jr.
Weyerhaeuser Timber Company, 1946–1956
Walter H. Wheeler, Jr.
Pitney-Bowes, 1938–1971
Joseph C. Wilson II
Xerox Corporation, 1946–1971
Charles D. Wiman
Deere & Company, 1928–1955
Sidney W. Winslow, Jr.
United Shoe Machinery Company, 1927–1939
Philip K. Wrigley
William Wrigley Jr. Company, 1925–1961
William Wrigley III
William Wrigley Jr. Company, 1961–1999
Alan L. Wurtzel
Circuit City Stores, 1973–1986
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THE 20th CENTURY ZEITGEIST

Six contextual factors deeply influenced the opportunities available to 20th century business leaders:

  • Demographics
  • Technology
  • Social Mores
  • Government
  • Labor
  • Global

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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