George W. Mason
George Walter Mason ( born March 12, 1891 in Valley City (North Dakota), † October 9, 1954 in Detroit ( Michigan) ) was an American industrialist. He was chairman and president of Kelvinator (1928-1937), Nash - Kelvinator Corporation (1937-1954) and American Motors Corporation ( 1954).
The first years
George W. Mason was born in Valley City (North Dakota). He studied at the University of Michigan, where he is also a special course for engineering students einrichtete, the combined three years engineering education with a final year Business Administration.
Mason had worked in his youth in local car repair shops, and when he got his diploma from the University of Michigan, went to the Studebaker. Until his entry into the army during the First World War, he moved several times from his job. Mason won in 1921 by Walter P. Chrysler employment at Maxwell -Chalmers, who had reorganized Chrysler and used to develop its own car brand.
From Maxwell -Chalmers joined Mason in 1926 Copeland Products in Detroit before he became president of the Kelvinator Corporation, a leading manufacturer of electrical refrigerators. Under Mason Kelvinator quadrupled its income and was second in the market for household refrigerators behind the market leader Frigidaire, who was one of GM despite the global economic crisis.
Nash Motors
When Charles W. Nash, founder of Nash Motors, was looking for a successor, advised him Walter Chrysler Mason. Mason leaned Nash's offer from the beginning, but when Nash asked what could induce him to make a move to Nash Motors, he demanded that Kelvinator should be included in this business. Nash saw this idea a chance; General Motors had Frigidaire, BorgWarner had Norge Appliance and Chrysler built his own air conditioning. Nash and Mason were commercial one and in November 1936, the merger was announced. The two companies merged and Mason was president of the new Nash - Kelvinator Corporation. By 1940, Mason had managed to increase the market share of Kelvinator and restore Nash Motors.
After the Second World War, Mason began together with Nils Eric Wahlberg, the chief engineer of Nash, to explore the possibilities of streamlined bodies for large cars. The two developed a new, aerodynamic style for Nash automobiles of model year 1949 by the elongated body up to the front wheels. This new design was introduced as Nash Airflyte and covered front wheels remained until 1957 a trademark of Nash.
Mason also enthusiastic for small cars, in particular the concept of a small, cheap cars that should be included in the future Nash model range. The result was three new model series of " compact car ":
- The Nash Rambler - Mason's vision of a small, inexpensive compact car changed under the influence of raw material shortages: Mason could not utter a stripped- saving model, but a well-equipped convertible sedan.
- The Nash -Healey - the first American sports car after the global economic crisis, developed together with partners in the UK and Italy.
- The Nash Metropolitan - a small car that was built in collaboration with the British Austin Motor Company.
But General Motors and the Ford Motor Company challenged on a battle for supremacy in the automotive market, which began in 1945, when Ford's new president, Henry Ford II, the burning desire felt to make his company back to number one. From 1953, the independent automakers also felt the impact of Ford's plan to throw tens of thousands of cars at bargain prices on the market in order to win against GM to be the largest car manufacturer. General Motors and Chrysler responded with the same means. Now the market has been flooded with cars that could be sold by the dealers only with great discounts. The weakened mainly independent producers such as Studebaker, Packard, Willys -Overland, Hudson, Kaiser and Nash Motors which had to deal with the lower production costs of GM, Ford and Chrysler to some extent to be able to keep up at least sell their cars at a considerable loss.
American Motors Corporation
Mason joined Nash Motors and Hudson Motor Car Co., to use common strengths can. Although merger talks were held by Nash with various other independent automakers, finally it came in the first months of 1954 but only to the merger of Nash and Hudson, emerged from the American Motors Corporation. In parallel, there was in 1953 and 1954 mergers of Willys and Kaiser and Studebaker and Packard.
A few months after completion of the merger negotiations Mason died aged 63 from acute pancreatitis and pneumonia. Mason's protégé, the vice president of AMC, George W. Romney, was his successor. One of the first acts of Romney was to dispel rumors of more merger talks with Studebaker - Packard and other manufacturers. Masons disclosures in Time Magazine, a merger of AMC and Studebaker -Packard would have been the second largest automaker in the world after GM.
Legacy
Mason had formerly been president of Ducks Unlimited ( environmental organization for the conservation of wetlands ). From his estate he left the Environmental Protection Agency of Michigan 6.1 km ² of land with 23 km of shoreline along the Au Sable River. Condition of the bequest was that Michigan State had to identify the area as a conservation area, no piece is sold it and camping was banned for the next 25 years. The State of Michigan has the camping ban maintained until today. In accordance with Mason's wishes, the country remains free from development or alteration with the exception of a simple chapel, which was built in 1960 by Mason's family.
Swell
- Who Was Who in America. A component of Who's Who in American History. Volume 3, 1951-1960. Chicago.
- Biography and Genealogy Master Index. Farmington Hills, Mich.: Thomson Gale, 1980-2006. .
- George Mason, Newsweek October 18, 1954
- George Mason, Milestones, Time Magazine, October 18, 1954
- Changes of the Week: George Romney Succeeds Mason. Time Magazine, October 25, 1954
- George W. Mason, American National Biography Online, issue February 2000.
- Man
- Americans
- Industrialist
- American Motors Corporation
- Studebaker
- Born 1891
- Died in 1954