Charles Edward Wilson (November 18, 1886 – January 3, 1972) was a CEO of
General Electric
General Electric Company (GE) was an American Multinational corporation, multinational Conglomerate (company), conglomerate founded in 1892, incorporated in the New York (state), state of New York and headquartered in Boston.
Over the year ...
.
Early life
Wilson left school at the age of 12 to work as a stock boy at the Sprague Electrical Works, which was acquired by the General Electric Company.
[ He took night classes to graduate from high school, and he worked his way up to the position of president of the ]corporation
A corporation or body corporate is an individual or a group of people, such as an association or company, that has been authorized by the State (polity), state to act as a single entity (a legal entity recognized by private and public law as ...
in 1939.
Public service
During World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, Wilson served on the War Production Board
The War Production Board (WPB) was an agency of the United States government that supervised war production during World War II. President Franklin D. Roosevelt established it in January 1942, with Executive Order 9024. The WPB replaced the Su ...
as its executive vice-chairman in September 1942, supervising the huge U.S. war production effort.[ He resigned in August 1944 after a bitter dispute over jurisdiction with the Department of War and the ]Department of the Navy Navy Department or Department of the Navy may refer to:
* United States Department of the Navy
The United States Department of the Navy (DON) is one of the three military departments within the United States Department of Defense. It was esta ...
. Wilson stated at the time that the US must keep its economy mobilized for war to avoid another Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe global economic downturn from 1929 to 1939. The period was characterized by high rates of unemployment and poverty, drastic reductions in industrial production and international trade, and widespread bank and ...
.
General Electric career
After returning to General Electric in 1945, Wilson began an anti-union campaign. He also served President Harry S. Truman
Harry S. Truman (May 8, 1884December 26, 1972) was the 33rd president of the United States, serving from 1945 to 1953. As the 34th vice president in 1945, he assumed the presidency upon the death of Franklin D. Roosevelt that year. Subsequen ...
as the chairman of the blue-ribbon President's Committee on Civil Rights
The President's Committee on Civil Rights was a United States Presidential Commission (United States), presidential commission established by President of the United States, President Harry Truman in 1946. The committee was created by Executive ...
in 1946–47. The committee recommended new civil rights
Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' political freedom, freedom from infringement by governments, social organizations, and private individuals. They ensure one's entitlement to participate in the civil and ...
legislation to protect "all parts of our population." In December 1950, Wilson left GE again to serve Truman as director of the new Office of Defense Mobilization The Office of Defense Mobilization (ODM) was an independent agency of the United States government whose function was to plan, coordinate, direct and control all wartime mobilization activities of the federal government, including manpower, economi ...
,[ which imposed controls on the US economy during the Korean War, such as rationing raw materials for civilian production. This position became so powerful that the press began dubbing Wilson the "co-president." After a bitter dispute with his own ]Wage Stabilization Board
The Wage Stabilization Board (WSB) was an independent agency of the United States government whose function was to make wage control policy recommendations and to implement such wage controls as were approved."Executive Order 10161, September 9, ...
, which had recommended wage increases for unionized steel workers without his knowledge, Wilson resigned from his post in March 1952. He had intervened in the dispute to support the steel industry's demand for price increases to offset the wage increases, only to see Truman back the WSB.
Later life
Wilson returned to General Electric briefly, before becoming chairman of the board of W.R. Grace & Co. until his retirement in 1956. He then became the president of the People-to-People Foundation, a nonpartisan organization that promoted international friendship and understanding. John G. Forrest wrote in ''The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
, "Charles Wilson is a big man by any standard, physical, moral, or mental."
Personal life
Wilson and his wife adopted their daughter, Margaret Wilson, from an orphanage when she was 18 years old. Margaret later married Hugh Pierce and they had one son,[ Charles Edward Wilson Pierce, named for his grandfather and father. Charles Wilson died in ]Westchester County, New York
Westchester County is a County (United States), county located in the southeastern portion of the U.S. state of New York (state), New York, bordering the Long Island Sound and the Byram River to its east and the Hudson River on its west. The c ...
, in 1972, and his remains are interred in a private mausoleum in the Kensico Cemetery
Kensico Cemetery, located in Valhalla, New York, Valhalla, Westchester County, New York was founded in 1889, when many New York City cemeteries were becoming full, and rural cemeteries were being created near the railroads that served the city ...
.
Nickname
He was nicknamed "Electric Charlie" to avoid being confused with Charles Erwin Wilson
Charles Erwin Wilson (July 18, 1890 – September 26, 1961) was an American engineer and businessman who served as United States Secretary of Defense from 1953 to 1957 under President Dwight D. Eisenhower. Known as "Engine Charlie", he was pr ...
, US Secretary of Defense
The United States secretary of defense (acronym: SecDef) is the head of the United States Department of Defense (DoD), the executive department of the U.S. Armed Forces, and is a high-ranking member of the federal cabinet. DoDD 5100.1: Enclos ...
under President Dwight Eisenhower
Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower (born David Dwight Eisenhower; October 14, 1890 – March 28, 1969) was the 34th president of the United States, serving from 1953 to 1961. During World War II, he was Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionar ...
and earlier the Chairman of the General Motors Corporation
General Motors Company (GM) is an American multinational automotive manufacturing company headquartered in Detroit, Michigan, United States. The company is most known for owning and manufacturing four automobile brands: Chevrolet, Buick, GMC, ...
, who was nicknamed "Engine Charlie."
References
*Pierpaoli, Paul G., Jr. ''Truman and Korea: The Political Culture of the Early Cold War.'' Columbia: University of Missouri Press, 1999.
*Sandler, Stanley (editor), "The Korean War: An Encyclopedia", Garland, 1995, pages 357 - 58.
External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Wilson, Charles E.
1886 births
1972 deaths
Burials at Kensico Cemetery
General Electric chief executive officers