Harlow Curtice facts for kids
Harlow Herbert Curtice (born August 15, 1893 – died November 3, 1962) was a very important leader in the American car industry. He was in charge of General Motors (GM), one of the biggest car companies, from 1953 to 1958. Because of his success at GM, Curtice was chosen as "Man of the Year" for 1955 by TIME magazine.
Curtice was born in Petrieville, Michigan. He started working at General Motors when he was just 20 years old. He quickly moved up in the company, first leading the AC Spark Plug division by age 36. He made this division very successful even during the tough times of the Great Depression. Later, he was chosen to lead GM's Buick division. He made Buick much bigger and more profitable in the 1930s.
In 1948, Curtice became an executive vice president at GM. He then became president in 1953 when the previous president, Charles Wilson, left to become the Secretary of Defense. With Curtice as president, GM became incredibly profitable. It was the first company ever to make $1 billion in profits in a single year!
Curtice retired in 1958, shortly after his 65th birthday. He passed away in 1962 at age 69.
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Early Life and First Steps in Business
Harlow Curtice was born in Petrieville, Michigan, on August 15, 1893. He grew up in Eaton Rapids, Michigan and went to Eaton Rapids High School. During his school breaks, he helped his father with bookkeeping for his business. He also worked in a woolen mill. After finishing school, he graduated from the Ferris Business College in 1914.
Later in 1914, Curtice moved to Flint, Michigan. This is where his amazing career at GM began. He started as a bookkeeper for GM's AC Spark Plug Division. Even at 20 years old, he told the company's financial manager that he wanted to be the financial manager himself within a year. He actually achieved this, becoming AC Spark Plug's comptroller (a top financial officer) at just 21! Curtice didn't just look at numbers. He explored the factory to understand what the figures meant for the workers and machines.
After a short time serving in the Army, Curtice returned to AC Spark Plug. He became the assistant general manager in 1923 and then president of the division in 1929. While many other businesses struggled or failed during the Great Depression, Curtice's AC Spark Plug Division grew and did very well.
Becoming a Top Executive
GM's Buick division was facing big problems during the Depression. Curtice said that Buick's production was only 17% of what it was in 1926. Curtice was put in charge of Buick. He quickly created a new way of organizing the division. He also launched new cars like the Buick Master Six and Buick Standard Six. He even set up a special group of dealers who would only sell Buick cars.
Curtice led Buick through the years of World War II. By the time he was promoted to a GM vice presidency, he had made Buick the fourth best-selling car brand. During World War II, Buick made aircraft engines very efficiently. The Army even thought about making Curtice a General, but he said no.
In 1946, GM President Charles Wilson offered Curtice the job of executive vice president. This meant he would be Wilson's main helper. But Curtice turned it down. He wanted to see Buicks being made again before he left the division. In 1948, Wilson offered the job again, and this time Curtice accepted.
As executive vice president, Curtice had more power than anyone before him in that role. He was in charge of all company staff matters. In 1953, Wilson left GM because President Dwight Eisenhower chose him to be the Secretary of Defense. GM's board of directors then chose Curtice to take Wilson's place as president.
Leading General Motors
As president, Curtice continued GM's tradition of letting the heads of each division run their parts of the company mostly on their own. However, in 1953, GM's Allison Division (which made aircraft engines) was falling behind. Curtice personally stepped in to help run the division. He found money for a huge investment in new engines. This made the Allison Division competitive again. In 1955, Eastern Airlines placed a big order for these new engines. In his first two years as president, Curtice traveled abroad twice. Each time, he made quick decisions and spent millions of dollars to help GM's global business.
When Curtice first became president, many people worried about a recession (a time when the economy slows down). In February 1954, with the economy still struggling, Curtice announced that GM would spend $1 billion (about $12 billion today) to expand its factories and facilities. He did this because he expected the economy to get better soon. This big announcement encouraged other companies to spend money too. This helped the economy recover. Ford also announced plans to spend $1 billion, and Chrysler said it would spend $500 million. Curtice then surprised everyone by announcing plans to spend a second billion dollars. He was confident the economy would improve and wanted GM to be ready.
In 1955, GM sold five million vehicles. It became the first company ever to earn $1 billion in a single year. Curtice was named "Man of the Year" by Time magazine for 1955. The magazine said he took on the responsibility of leadership for American business. Curtice himself said, "General Motors must always lead." During his time as president, he only went home to Flint, Michigan on weekends. He stayed at GM headquarters during the week.
In 1956, he announced plans to invest another billion dollars. This was the largest amount ever invested by one company in a single year. At the peak of his career, he earned $800,000 per year (which would be over $9 million today).
He was honored by being added to the Automotive Hall of Fame in 1971.
Later Life
Harlow Curtice retired on August 31, 1958, after reaching age 65. He remained a director on GM's board. In 1959, while on a duck hunting trip in Canada, a tragic accident occurred where a friend was accidentally killed.
Curtice lived in Flint, Michigan, throughout his career. He passed away at his home in Flint in 1962, at age 69, from what appeared to be a heart attack. Curtice was buried in Glenwood Cemetery.
See also
In Spanish: Harlow Curtice para niños
