Great American Business Leaders of the 20th Century
Kenneth S. Adams
Phillips Petroleum Company
1938–1951
1938–1951
Phillips Petroleum Company
1938–1951
1938–1951
- Industry: Utilities & Energy
- Era: 1930
Adams climbed the ranks at Phillips Petroleum, beginning as a clerk in the warehouse division. In 1938, when Adams became president, Phillips Petroleum had a gross income of $78 million with 8,000 employees. When Adams retired from that office, Phillips had become the world’s largest owner of natural gas reserves with over 18,000 employees and a gross income of over $520 million.