Thomas J. Watson Sr. (1874 - 1956)
Thomas J. Watson Sr. in mid-1920's
- 1874 born in Campbell, N.Y.
- 1892 began his career at age 18 as bookkeeper in Clarence Risley's Market in Painted Post, N.Y. Later, he sold pianos and sewing machines in the same village.
- 1895 took a job as a salesman with National Cash Register Company and later became general sales manager.
- 1913 married Jeannette M. Kittredge, daughter of an Ohio industrialist. They had four children.
- 1914 joined CTR (Computing-Tabulating-Recording Co) as general manager.
- 1915 became president of CTR.
After he was cleared of antitrust charges lingering from his tenure at NCR, Watson was promoted to president.
- 1924 CTR became IBM.
- 1937 became president of the International Chamber of Commerce.
- 1956 died at age 82.
President Eisenhower declared, "In the passing of Thomas J. Watson, the nation has lost a truly fine American - an industrialist who was first of all a great citizen and a great humanitarian."
Thomas J. Watson Jr. (1914 - 1993)
Thomas J. Watson Jr. in 1939
- 1914 born in Dayton, Ohio.
- 1933 entered Brown University.
- 1937 graduated from Brown University and joined IBM as a salesman in downtown Manhattan.
- 1940-1945 served as a B-24 pilot in the U.S. Army Air Corps.
- 1941 married Olive Field Cawley. They had a son and five daughters.
- 1946 returned from war and rejoined IBM, within a year he became vice president and a member of the board of directors.
- 1956 became IBM CEO.
- 1971 stepped down as chairman and CEO after suffering a heart attack. T. Vincent Learson became CEO.
- 1979 served as U.S. Ambassador to the Soviet Union until 1981.
- 1985 stepped down from IBM board.
Watson retired at age 70, ending more than 70 years of Watson family leadership at IBM. He remained chairman emeritus and a member of IBM's advisory board.
- 1993 died at 79 in Greenwich, Conn.
"Perhaps the most important legacy of his leadership can be summarized in just three words: IBM means service," says IBM Chairman and CEO Louis V. Gerstner Jr.
Watson said, "This is a very sentimental moment for me, because I am stepping down from a job that I have valued more than anything in my life outside of my own family." Watson remained on the board and served as chairman of the executive committee.
