Thomas J. Watson | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Watson in 1920s | |
| Born | Thomas John Watson February 17, 1874 Campbell, New York, U.S. |
| Died | June 19, 1956 (aged 82) Manhattan, New York City, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Chairman and CEO of IBM 1914–1956 |
| Spouse |
Jeanette M. Kittredge
(m. 1913) |
| Children | 4, including Thomas Watson Jr. and Arthur K. Watson |
| Signature | |
 | |
Thomas John Watson Sr. (February 17, 1874 – June 19, 1956) was an American businessman who was the chairman and CEO of IBM.[1][2] He oversaw the company's growth into an international force from 1914 to 1956. Watson developed IBM's management style and corporate culture from John Henry Patterson's training at NCR.[3] He turned the company into a highly effective selling organization, based largely on punched card tabulating machines.
Watson authorized providing Hitler's Third Reich with data processing solutions and involved IBM in cooperation with Nazi Germany throughout the 1930s and until the end of World War II, profiting from both the German and American war efforts.[4] A leading self-made industrialist,[5] he was one of the richest men of his time when he died in 1956.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
obitwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "Early Ambitions". IBM. Retrieved January 28, 2012.
- ^ Belden (1962) pp. 105–106
- ^ Friedman, John S. (May 21, 2001). "Hitler's Willing Executives". The Nation. Retrieved February 16, 2024.
- ^ "Founding IBM". Archived from the original on October 3, 2006. Retrieved July 1, 2012.