
Charles Ruffin Hook Sr. (July 12, 1880 - November 15, 1963) was an American
industrialist
A business magnate, also known as a tycoon, is a person who has achieved immense wealth through the ownership of multiple lines of enterprise. The term characteristically refers to a powerful entrepreneur or investor who controls, through perso ...
, second president of
Armco Steel Corp., and recipient of the
Henry Laurence Gantt Medal The Henry Laurence Gantt Medal was established in 1929 by the American Management Association and the Management section of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers for "distinguished achievement in management and service to the community" in ho ...
in 1950.
Life and work
Hook was born and raised in
Cincinnati
Cincinnati ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located at the northern side of the confluence of the Licking and Ohio rivers, the latter of which marks the state lin ...
,
Hamilton County as son of Henry Hamilton Hook and Katherine (Klusman) Hook. He attended
Walnut Hills High School
, streetaddress = 3250 Victory Parkway
, city = Cincinnati
, state = Ohio
, zipcode = 45207
, country = United States
, coordinates =
, type ...
, where he graduated in 1898.
[''Who's who in Finance and Industry.'' Marquis Who's Who, 1959. p. 554]
In 1902 Hook started his lifelong career at Armco as night superintendent at the
sheet mill
Sheet or Sheets may refer to:
* Bed sheet, a rectangular piece of cloth used as bedding
* Sheet of paper, a flat, very thin piece of paper
* Sheet metal, a flat thin piece of metal
* Sheet (sailing), a line, cable or chain used to control the c ...
. Hook served as president of Armco Steel from 1930 to 1948, and later served as chairman of its board from 1948 to 1959. In the 1930s he also served as president of the
National Association of Manufacturers
The National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) is an advocacy group headquartered in Washington, D.C., with additional offices across the United States. It is the nation's largest manufacturing industrial trade association, representing 14,000 ...
.
Hook was awarded a series of honorary degrees, such as the D.Eng from
Michigan College of Mining and Technology
Michigan Technological University (Michigan Tech, MTU, or simply Tech) is a public research university in Houghton, Michigan, founded in 1885 as the Michigan Mining School, the first post-secondary institution in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. ...
in 1935, and from the
Stevens Institute of Technology
Stevens Institute of Technology is a private research university in Hoboken, New Jersey. Founded in 1870, it is one of the oldest technological universities in the United States and was the first college in America solely dedicated to mechanica ...
in 1944; the LL.D. from
Ohio State University
The Ohio State University, commonly called Ohio State or OSU, is a public land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio. A member of the University System of Ohio, it has been ranked by major institutional rankings among the best pu ...
in 1939, from
Harding College
Harding University is a private university with its main campus in Searcy, Arkansas. It is the largest private university in Arkansas. Established in 1924, the institution offers undergraduate, graduate, and pre-professional programs. The univ ...
in 1941, from
Miami University
Miami University (informally Miami of Ohio or simply Miami) is a public research university in Oxford, Ohio. The university was founded in 1809, making it the second-oldest university in Ohio (behind Ohio University, founded in 1804) and the 1 ...
in 1951, from
Cedarville University
Cedarville University is a private Baptist university in Cedarville, Ohio. It is chartered by the state of Ohio, approved by the Ohio Board of Regents, and accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
Established in 1887, the school was or ...
in 1951, from
Marietta College
Marietta College (MC) is a private liberal arts college in Marietta, Ohio. It offers more than 50 undergraduate majors across the arts, sciences, and engineering, as well as Physician Assistant, Psychology, Clinical Mental Health Counseling, a ...
in 1952, and from
Centre College
Centre College is a private liberal arts college in Danville, Kentucky. It is an undergraduate college with an enrollment of approximately 1,400 students. Centre was officially chartered by the Kentucky General Assembly in 1819. The college is ...
in 1955; the DCS from
Oglethorpe University
Oglethorpe University is a private college in Brookhaven, Georgia. It was chartered in 1835 and named in honor of General James Edward Oglethorpe, founder of the Colony of Georgia.
History
Oglethorpe University was chartered in 1834 in Mi ...
in 1938; the Dr. Humanities from
Muskingum University
Muskingum University is a private liberal arts college in New Concord, Ohio. Chartered in 1837 as Muskingum College, the institution is affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (USA).
Collectively, the university's alumni are referred to as t ...
in 1950; and the Dr. Public Service from the University of Cincinnati in 1956.
In 1950 Hook was awarded by the
American Management Association
The American Management Association (AMA) is an American non-profit educational membership organization for the promotion of management, based in New York City. Besides its headquarters there, it has local head offices throughout the world.
It ...
and
ASME
The American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) is an American professional association that, in its own words, "promotes the art, science, and practice of multidisciplinary engineering and allied sciences around the globe" via " continuing ...
the
Henry Laurence Gantt Medal The Henry Laurence Gantt Medal was established in 1929 by the American Management Association and the Management section of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers for "distinguished achievement in management and service to the community" in ho ...
for his accomplishments and for being a "proponent of incentives and industrial peace at Armco Steel Corporation."
[Lester Robert Bittel, Muriel Albers Bittel. ''Encyclopedia of professional management'', 1978. p. 456] in 1950.
Hook died in
Maryland
Maryland ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; ...
November 15, 1963 at the age of 83.
References
Further reading
*
John William Tebbel
John William Tebbel (1912–2004) was an American journalist, editor, writer, teacher, and media historian. He was known for his four volume book, ''A History of Book Publishing in the United States'' (Bowker).
Biography
John William Tebbel was ...
. ''The Human Touch in Business: the story of Charles R. Hook, who rose from office boy to internationally-known business leader.'' Otterbein Press, 1963.
External links
Charles R. Hook - Leadership - Harvard Business School
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hook, Charles R.
1880 births
1963 deaths
20th-century American businesspeople
People from Cincinnati
Henry Laurence Gantt Medal recipients
Engineers from Ohio
Walnut Hills High School alumni