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| Thomas J. Watson | |||
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| ⚫ | Thomas J. Watson (February 17, 1874–June 19, 1956) is considered to be the founder of IBM. He was one of the richest men of his time and called the world's greatest salesman when he died. | ||
| ⚫ | Watson was born in |
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| ⚫ | While at NCR, he was convicted for illegal anti-competitive sales practices (e.g. he used to have people sell deliberately faulty cash registers, either second-hand NCR or from competitors; soon after the second-hand NCR or competitors cash register failed, an NCR salesperson would arrive to sell them a brand new NCR cash register). He was sentenced, along with |
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| ⚫ | Thomas Watson, pictured in 1917, is considered the founder of IBM.Watson was born in Campbell, New York. His formal education consisted of only a course in the Elmira School of Commerce. His first job was at age 18 as a bookkeeper in Clarence Risley's Market in Painted Post, New York. Later he sold sewing machines and musical instruments before joining the National Cash Register Company as a salesman in Buffalo. He eventually worked his way up to general sales manager. Bent on inspiring the dispirited NCR sales force, Watson introduced the motto, "THINK," which later became a widely known symbol of IBM. | ||
| ⚫ | While at NCR, he was convicted for illegal anti-competitive sales practices (e.g. he used to have people sell deliberately faulty cash registers, either second-hand NCR or from competitors; soon after the second-hand NCR or competitors cash register failed, an NCR salesperson would arrive to sell them a brand new NCR cash register). He was sentenced, along with John H. Patterson (the owner of NCR), to one year of imprisonment. Their conviction was unpopular with the public, due to the efforts of Patterson and Watson to help those affected by the 1913 Dayton, Ohio floods, but efforts to have them pardoned by President Woodrow Wilson were unsuccessful. However, the Court of Appeals overturned the conviction on appeal in 1915, on the grounds that important defense evidence should have been admitted. | ||
| ⚫ | He became the president of the Computing-Tabulating-Recording Company on May 1, 1914. This was a company that had only been in existence for three years. |
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| ⚫ | He became the president of the Computing-Tabulating-Recording Company on May 1, 1914. This was a company that had only been in existence for three years. When he took the job, the company had fewer than 400 emplyees. In 1924 the company merged with the International Business Machines Corporation and took its name. He built IBM into such a powerful force that the Government filed a civil antitrust suit against them in 1952. IBM owned more than 90 percent of all tabulating machines in the United States at the time. | ||
| He considered an important part of his job to motivate the sales force. As part of this, he was famous for making his salespeople at both NCR and IBM attend sing-a-longs (see The IBM Songbook below). | He considered an important part of his job to motivate the sales force. As part of this, he was famous for making his salespeople at both NCR and IBM attend sing-a-longs (see The IBM Songbook below). | ||
| Throughout his life, Watson maintained a deep interest in international relations. He adopted for IBM the slogan, "World Peace Through World Trade," worked closely with the International Chamber of Commerce and in 1937 was elected its president. For many years Mr. Watson served as a trustee of |
Throughout his life, Watson maintained a deep interest in international relations. He adopted for IBM the slogan, "World Peace Through World Trade," worked closely with the International Chamber of Commerce and in 1937 was elected its president. For many years Mr. Watson served as a trustee of Columbia University and Lafayette College. He was presented with honorary degrees by 27 colleges and universities in the United States and four abroad. This work, however, was not without controversey. In 1937, Watson received the Eagle with Star medal from Adolf Hitler, for the help IBM subsidiary Dehomag and its Hollerith punchcard machines provided the Nazi regime for tabulating census data. After the outbreak of World War Two, Watson returned the medal, yet IBM continued to profit from Dehomag. | ||
| Mr. Watson was named chairman of IBM in September 1949. A month before his death, Watson handed over the reins of the company to his eldest son, Thomas J. Watson, Jr. Another son, Arthur K. Watson, served as president of IBM World Trade Corp., the company's international operations. | Mr. Watson was named chairman of IBM in September 1949. A month before his death, Watson handed over the reins of the company to his eldest son, Thomas J. Watson, Jr. Another son, Arthur K. Watson, served as president of IBM World Trade Corp., the company's international operations. | ||
| He lived at 4 East Seventy-fifth Street in Manhattan at the time of his death. |
He lived at 4 East Seventy-fifth Street in Manhattan at the time of his death. He married Jeanette M. Kittredge on April 17, 1913. They had two sons and two daughters. | ||
| ==Famous Misquote== | ==Famous Misquote== | ||
Revision as of 14:28, 27 September 2004
Thomas J. Watson . Thomas J. Watson (February 17, 1874–June 19, 1956) is considered to be the founder of IBM. He was one of the richest men of his time and called the world's greatest salesman when he died.
Thomas Watson, pictured in 1917, is considered the founder of IBM.Watson was born in Campbell, New York. His formal education consisted of only a course in the Elmira School of Commerce. His first job was at age 18 as a bookkeeper in Clarence Risley's Market in Painted Post, New York. Later he sold sewing machines and musical instruments before joining the National Cash Register Company as a salesman in Buffalo. He eventually worked his way up to general sales manager. Bent on inspiring the dispirited NCR sales force, Watson introduced the motto, "THINK," which later became a widely known symbol of IBM.
While at NCR, he was convicted for illegal anti-competitive sales practices (e.g. he used to have people sell deliberately faulty cash registers, either second-hand NCR or from competitors; soon after the second-hand NCR or competitors cash register failed, an NCR salesperson would arrive to sell them a brand new NCR cash register). He was sentenced, along with John H. Patterson (the owner of NCR), to one year of imprisonment. Their conviction was unpopular with the public, due to the efforts of Patterson and Watson to help those affected by the 1913 Dayton, Ohio floods, but efforts to have them pardoned by President Woodrow Wilson were unsuccessful. However, the Court of Appeals overturned the conviction on appeal in 1915, on the grounds that important defense evidence should have been admitted.
He became the president of the Computing-Tabulating-Recording Company on May 1, 1914. This was a company that had only been in existence for three years. When he took the job, the company had fewer than 400 emplyees. In 1924 the company merged with the International Business Machines Corporation and took its name. He built IBM into such a powerful force that the Government filed a civil antitrust suit against them in 1952. IBM owned more than 90 percent of all tabulating machines in the United States at the time.
He considered an important part of his job to motivate the sales force. As part of this, he was famous for making his salespeople at both NCR and IBM attend sing-a-longs (see The IBM Songbook below).
Throughout his life, Watson maintained a deep interest in international relations. He adopted for IBM the slogan, "World Peace Through World Trade," worked closely with the International Chamber of Commerce and in 1937 was elected its president. For many years Mr. Watson served as a trustee of Columbia University and Lafayette College. He was presented with honorary degrees by 27 colleges and universities in the United States and four abroad. This work, however, was not without controversey. In 1937, Watson received the Eagle with Star medal from Adolf Hitler, for the help IBM subsidiary Dehomag and its Hollerith punchcard machines provided the Nazi regime for tabulating census data. After the outbreak of World War Two, Watson returned the medal, yet IBM continued to profit from Dehomag.
Mr. Watson was named chairman of IBM in September 1949. A month before his death, Watson handed over the reins of the company to his eldest son, Thomas J. Watson, Jr. Another son, Arthur K. Watson, served as president of IBM World Trade Corp., the company's international operations.
He lived at 4 East Seventy-fifth Street in Manhattan at the time of his death. He married Jeanette M. Kittredge on April 17, 1913. They had two sons and two daughters.
Famous Misquote
Although he is well known for his alleged 1943 statement: "I think there is a world market for maybe five computers", there is no evidence he ever made it. The author Kevin Maney tried to find the origin of the quote. He has been unable to locate any speeches or documents of Watson's that contain this, nor is it present in any contemporary articles about IBM. The earliest known citation is from 1986 on Usenet in the signature of a poster from Convex Computer Corporation as "I think there is a world market for about five computers" --Remark attributed to Thomas J. Watson (Chairman of the Board of International Business Machines),1943
References
- Maney, Kevin (2003). The Maverick and His Machine: Thomas Watson, Sr. and the Making of IBM. John Wiley & Sons. ISBN 0471414638.
- Black, Edwin IBM and the Holocaust