Watson, Thomas J., Sr.

Watson, Thomas J., Sr.

▪ American industrialist
in full  Thomas John Watson, Sr.  
born Feb. 17, 1874, Campbell, N.Y., U.S.
died June 19, 1956, New York, N.Y.

      American industrialist who built the International Business Machines Corporation (IBM) into the largest manufacturer of electric typewriters and data-processing equipment in the world.

      The son of a lumber dealer, Watson studied at the Elmira (N.Y.) School of Commerce and then worked as a salesman first in a retail store and then for a small cash register company. In 1895 Watson joined the sales staff of the National Cash Register Company in Dayton, Ohio, and he eventually rose to the post of general sales manager of the company under the tutelage of its president, John H. Patterson (Patterson, John Henry). In 1912 Patterson involved Watson in an illegal antitrust scheme that resulted in convictions for both men, later overturned. Leaving National Cash Register in 1913, Watson in 1914 became president of the Computing-Tabulating-Recording Co., a maker of electrical punch-card computing systems and other products (the company changed its name to International Business Machines Corporation in 1924).

      An exceptional salesman and organizer, Watson assembled a highly motivated, well-trained, and well-paid staff. He gave pep talks, enforced a strict dress code, and posted the now famous slogan “Think” in company offices. Coupled with an aggressive research and development program, these efforts enabled IBM to dominate its market. Watson aggressively pursued international trade in the 1930s and '40s, extending IBM's virtual monopoly of the business-machines industry worldwide.

      In 1952 he turned the IBM presidency over to his son, Thomas, Jr., while retaining the post of chairman. By the time of Watson's death four years later, the company (which had 235 employees in 1914) employed 60,000 people and had 200 offices throughout the country, with factories and assembly plants around the world.

      Watson was active in civic affairs and was noted for his efforts on behalf of the arts and world peace.

* * *


Universalium. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем сделать НИР

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Watson,Thomas Augustus — Watson, Thomas Augustus. 1854 1934. American telephone pioneer who assisted Alexander Graham Bell in his experiments and was the leader of research and engineering for Bell Telephone Company (1877 1881). * * * …   Universalium

  • Watson,Thomas John — Watson, Thomas John. 1874 1956. American businessman who was president (1914 1949) and chairman (1949 1956) of International Business Machines. * * * …   Universalium

  • Watson,Thomas Sturges — Watson, Thomas Sturges. Known as “Tom.” Born 1949. American golfer who in 1982 became one of only a few players to win the U.S. and British Open tournaments in the same year. * * * …   Universalium

  • Watson, Thomas J., Jr. — ▪ 1994       U.S. business executive (b. Jan. 8, 1914, Dayton, Ohio d. Dec. 31, 1993, Greenwich, Conn.), inherited the leadership of International Business Machines Corp. from his father and propelled the company into the computer age. After… …   Universalium

  • Watson, Thomas Augustus — ▪ American industrialist born Jan. 18, 1854, Salem, Mass., U.S. died Dec. 13, 1934, Passagrille Key, Fla.       American telephone pioneer and shipbuilder, one of the original organizers of the Bell Telephone Company, who later turned to… …   Universalium

  • Watson, Thomas J(ohn), Sr. — born Feb. 17, 1874, Campbell, N.Y., U.S. died June 19, 1956, New York, N.Y. U.S. industrialist. He went to work for the National Cash Register Co. in 1899. In 1914 he became president of the company that in 1924 became International Business… …   Universalium

  • Watson, Thomas J(ohn) — (17 feb. 1874, Campbell, N.Y., EE.UU.–19 jun. 1956, Nueva York, N.Y.). Industrial estadounidense. Comenzó a trabajar para la National Cash Register Co. en 1899. En 1914 asumió como presidente de la compañía, que en 1924 se convirtió en… …   Enciclopedia Universal

  • Watson, Thomas — (1557? 1592)    Poet, b. in London, was at Oxf., and studied law. He was a scholar, and made translations, one of which was a Latin version of the Antigone of Sophocles. In 1582 he pub. Hecatompathia, or The Passionate Centurie of Love,… …   Short biographical dictionary of English literature

  • Watson, Thomas — (1557? 1592)    Possibly educated at Oxford University, he became a law student and devoted his life to poetry. He wrote several Latin poems and translated into Latin the works of several Italian poets, including the sonnets of Petrarch (1304… …   British and Irish poets

  • Thomas J. Watson Sr. — Thomas J. Watson Thomas John Watson, Sr. (* 17. Februar 1874 in Campbell, New York; † 19. Juni 1956 in New York City) gilt fälschlicherweise als Gründer von IBM, deren Vorstandsvorsitzender er bis 1956 war. Er war einer der reichsten Männer… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
… Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”