Roy Howard: The Man Who Never Let Go of Opportunities

Roy Wilson Howard was an American publisher and editor who was considered an icon in journalism. Howard was the leader of the United Press at the time of its greatest growth and led it to become a global news agency. He also served as chairman and business director of Scripps-Howard newspaper chain, which eventually became the largest chain in the US.

Howard was born in Gano, Ohio on January 1, 1883. His family moved to Indianapolis when he was seven. The early demise of his father exposed Howard to the delivery of daily paper in order to help in raising the family’s finances.

When he was in high school, Howard worked as correspondent for Indianapolis News. His assignment was for the Manual Training High School. Since his rate was based on space, he used the name E.H. Kemper McComb in order to earn more. At five cents per line, Howard made $35 per week.

After high school, Howard worked full time with Indianapolis News for a weekly pay of $8. He was promoted because of his talent. He quit from Indianapolis News and joined its rival company Indianapolis Star as sports editor.

While at Indianapolis Star, Howard longed to find a larger newspaper company. In 1906, Howard worked for Scripps-McRae as news correspondent for New York. At that time, E.W. Scripps was acquiring smaller news agencies to form the United Press. Scripps appointed Howard as the general news editor for New York.

After working hard with Scripps, Howard was appointed as president of United Press in 1912. It was during his presidency that United Press had the greatest growth. In 1907, United Press had 369 afternoon clients. In 1909, it grew to 392. It was at 491 in 1921. Howard led United Press to become a global news agency.

Under Howard’s presidency, United Press made its first wireless dispatch. It was also the first news agency to transmit feature stories. United Press was also the first to use automatic printers outside New York.

Howard became the chairman of Scripps-McRae in 1921. Howard proposed the changing of the company’s name to Scripps-Howard. The change occurred in 1925.

Howard died of massive coronary complications on November 20, 1964.

Howard Johnson: Unschooled but Realized Success Through Hard Work

Howard Johnson was an American restaurateur and businessman who was known for owning the chain of motels and restaurants named Howard Johnson’s. Johnson was born on February 2, 1897 in Boston Massachusetts. After finishing his elementary, Johnson worked in his father’s cigarette business. He was not able to go back to school.

When his father died, Johnson inherited his father’s business along with its debts of $10,000, which he had difficulty erasing. He sold the business, paid the debts and ventured into the restaurant business with what was left with the liquidation.

Johnson acquired a soda shop in Quincy, Massachusetts in 1925. He enhanced the flavour of his ice cream. By 1928, his soda was earning $240,000 from the ice cream sold. He expanded and sold frankfurters and hamburgers.

Soon, what started as a soda shop became a chain of restaurants and motels. He retired from business in 1959. He left his business under the care of his son Howard Brennan Johnson.

Samuel M. Jones: Testament of the Power of the Golden Rule

Samuel M. Jones was an American inventor, manufacturer, and political reformer. He served as mayor of Toledo, Ohio between 1897 and 1904, the time known as the Progressive Era. Jones was an important icon in American Progressivism. He earned the nickname “Golden Rule Jones” because of his golden rule advocacy in Toledo. Oftentimes, Jones was mistaken for a socialist, but as most followers of Henry George were known, Jones was a “Single Taxer.”

Jones was born on August 3, 1846 in Caernarvonshire, Wales. His family immigrated to the US in 1849. His family was not well off so he had to work as a boy to help his family survive. Consequently, Jones had little education.

In his adolescence, Jones tried a number of odd jobs. But the most important work in his earlier years was spent in the oil fields of Western Pennsylvania. There, he accumulated enough knowledge running the oil business. In 1870, Jones decided to leave his job and start his own oil company from his savings.

After his wife died in 1885, Jones transferred to Lima, Ohio in search for oil. While there, Jones helped establish the Ohio Oil company. Later, Ohio Oil was acquired by Standard Oil Company, and Jones walked out a wealthy man. Thereafter, Jones decided to stay in Toledo Ohio in 1892.

In 1894, Jones founded the Acme Sucker Rod Company to manufacture tools called sucker rods for use in the oil industry. Jones inspired all his employees to display hard work and honesty and observe the Golden Rule at all times. Because of the Golden Rule, Acme paid all its workers based on prevailing wages, observed the 8-hour workday, gave Christmas bonuses and paid vacation leaves, involved the workers in profit sharing, allowed workers to keep their own time, provided hot meals at low cost, provided a park outside the factory where employees cans stay during free time, and established the Golden Rule Band.

In the 1897 elections, Jones was nominated by the Republicans to run for Toledo mayor. Because his workers were happy with his advocacies, Jones won the elections. While he was mayor of Toledo, Jones used his Golden Rule policy to improve the condition of the working class in Toledo.

Mayor Jones’ administration offered kindergarten classes, developed parks and playgrounds, build free public baths, refused the enforcement of blue laws, removed the truncheons from the police, and implemented the 8-hour work week for city employees.

Jones died in 0904 while in office for his second term as Toledo mayor.

Eldridge Johnson: Unschooled but Successful

Eldridge Johnson was an American industrialist and businessman who co-founded the Victor Talking Machine Company. At one time, this company was the leading producer of phonographs and phonograph records in the US.

Johnson’s mother died when he was just two years old. He lived with his aunt until he was ten when his father remarried. He lived with his father and stepmother until he was fifteen. Because he was poor, he did not have the chance to go to college after high school. Instead, he entered trading.

In 1883, Johnson apprenticed in a Philadelphia machine shop, J. Lodge & Son. When he became an experienced machinist, Johnson moved to Scull machine Shop in New Jersey.

Johnson became the foreman, and later, manager of Scull. He continued on the work left by John W. Scull, who died earlier that year – a bookbinding machine. After completing the machine, he went as far as Washington.

There, he established the Eldridge Johnson Manufacturing Company. He manufactured and sold bookbinding machines and other devices such as the gramophone.

Henry Huntington: The Man Behind the Many “Huntingtons” Today

Henry Edwards Huntington was an American railroad businessman and art and rare books collector. He was born in Oneonta, New York on February 27, 1850. He moved to Los Angeles where he founded the Pacific Electric Railway. He also owned substantial interests in real estate and has spent a considerable amount of money in collecting art works and rare books.

Huntington’s uncle, Collis, was one of the four investors in the Central Pacific Railroad. Huntington has worked alongside his uncle in many executive positions in Southern Pacific Transportation Company.

In 1898, Huntington acquired the Los Angeles Railway which was known at that time in its colloquial name ‘Yellow Car.’ This inspired Huntington’s founding of the Pacific Electric Railway, an interurban standard gauge. Pacific Electric Railway was colloquially called the ‘Red Car.’

In order to beat the competition, the Red Car featured passenger-friendly streetcars. Its cars run the streets 24/7, which was favorable at that time because at that time, the land development market was booming in Southern California. For instance, the residents of the houses built at Huntington Beach were serviced by the streetcars because the railroads could not serve them. The Red Car connected Downtown Los Angeles to the suburbs of the city.

Huntington’s trolley system extended over 1,300 miles in Southern California by 1910. At that time, the entire system contained more than 20 streetcar lines with about 1,250 trolleys that run through the core of Los Angeles and its surrounding neighborhoods.

In 1916, Huntington retired from business. He died on May 23, 1927 while undergoing surgery. Huntington’s legacy included the Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens, Huntington Beach, Huntington Park, Huntington Lake, Huntington Hospital, Henry E. Huntington Middle School, and Huntington Drive. In honor of Huntington, Adolfo Müller-Ury, a Swiss-born American artist, painted portraits of Huntington which are displayed at the Huntington Library until today.

Mark Hopkins: In Pursuit of His Passions

Mark Hopkins was an American businessman and railroad investor. He was one of the four entrepreneurs who invested in the Central Pacific Railroad in 1861. Hopkins was born on September 1, 1813 in Jefferson County, New York.

Hopkins’ father died when he was a boy so he did not know that he was his father’s “Junior.”Hopkins studied law and later entered a number of business ventures. One of his businesses was “Hopkins and Hughes” where he was partner. He was also associated with “James Rowland and Company” as bookkeeper and later, manager.

During the height of the California Gold Rush, Hopkins formed the “New England Mining and Trading Company.” this company purchased goods to sell them to California. Hopkins moved to Sacramento, California and opened a wholesale grocery with his friend Edward Miller.

In 1855, Hopkins and a fellow businessman Collis Huntington established Huntington Hopkins and Company and sold iron and hardware. Hopkins, Huntington, Charles Crocker and Leland Stanford became the investors of Central pacific Railroad in 1861.

Howard Hughes Jr.: From Drill Bits to Movies

Howard Hughes Jr. was an American businessman who was more popularly known as an aviator and movie producer. In his later years, Hughes was also known as an eccentric and reclusive millionaire.

Howard Jr. was born on December 24, 1905. His father, Howard Sr., owned a patent for a drill bit that can drill through hard rock. Howard Sr. earned a huge fortune out of his drill bit that was produced by his own company, the Sharp-Hughes Tool Company.

Because of Howard Sr.’s fortunes, Howard Jr. grew up in a relatively wealthy household. However, he had difficulty getting focused on his studies so he had to transfer from one school to another. He preferred to use his curiosity to tinker with machines. When his mother did not allow him to own a motorcycle, he built his own by attaching a motor to his bicycle.

When Howard Jr. was 16 years old, his mother passed away. Two years later, his father also died. Seventy-five percent of his father’s estate went him; the rest of the 25% were given to some relatives. Almost immediately thereafter, Howard Jr. had disagreements with his relatives in running the Hughes Tool Company. Because he was only 18 and the legal age was 21, he could not do anything.

Howard Jr. was determined to take over his father’s company so he brought his case to the court. When the judge granted him adulthood, he acquired the shares owned by his relatives. He became the sole owner of Hughes Tool Company at 19 years old.

Howard Jr. and his wife Ella Rice, ventured into movie making in 1925. He spent time with his uncle, Rupert, who was a Hollywood screenwriter. His enchantment with movies led to his first movie project, the Swell Hogan. Two Arabian Knights, his third movie is an Oscars winner.

In 1932, Howard Jr. moved to aviation and founded the Hughes Aircraft Company. He hired the best aeronautics engineers and designers. His obsession was on speed and he focused on produced high-speed aircraft.

At the time of his death in 1976, Howard Jr. was a billionaire.

George Hormel: From a Butcher to a Food Magnate

George Hormel was an American meatpacker who founded Hormel Foods Corporation. He was born in Buffalo, New York on December 4, 1860. His mother’s family had been connected with slaughterhouses and Hormel himself was exposed to butchering at age 15.

Hormel moved to Minnesota in 1887 and opened a butcher shop with his partner, Albrect Friedrich. Disagreements on expansion caused them to part ways. Hormel sold half of his stakes in the business. He opened a new business in 1891 and named it Hormel Provision Market. He acquired a bankrupt creamery and expanded his meatpacking business to produce ham, bacon, and sausages.

In 1895, Hormel introduced his sugar-cured pig back bacon, which is known in America today as Canadian bacon. He incorporated his business in 1901 and officially named it George A. Hormel Company. He opened a number of distribution centers in Atlanta, Chicago, and Dallas. Hormel introduced the first canned ham in 1926.

Johns Hopkins and His Legacies that Changed Millions of Lives

Johns Hopkins was an American businessman and philanthropist. Among his legacies are the Johns Hopkins University, Johns Hopkins Hospital, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins School of Nursing, and Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Hopkins was born in Baltimore, Maryland on May 19, 1975. He grew in the family’s 500-acre property in Anne Arundel County. The Hopkins family members were known Quakers. In compliance with their Society decree, the Hopkins emancipated their slaves in 1807.

At 12 years old, Hopkins had to stop schooling to work in the farm. When he was 17 years old, Hopkins left the farm in favor of a wholesale grocery owned by Gerard Hopkins, his uncle. He managed the business while Gerard was away for the War of 1812. This was Hopkins’ first exposure to business.

Alongside his friend Benjamin Moore, Hopkins opened a new business but the partnership was dissolved later on. After this, Hopkins and his brothers founded the Hopkins & Brothers. The business sold wares, sometimes in exchange for corn whiskey. But a huge part of the Hopkins fortune was from investments the brothers made with existing companies. Among the most notable was with Baltimore and Ohio Railroad where Hopkins served as director. Hopkins also became the president of Merchants’ bank. He also served in other companies as director.

During difficult financial times, Hopkins used his own wealth to help Baltimore City. In two instances, he had to bail out Baltimore and Ohio Railroad from debt. Hopkins was in the 69th place in “The Wealthy 100: From Benjamin Franklin to Bill Gates – Ranking of the Richest Americans, Past and Present” in 1996.

During the American Civil War, Baltimore was hit by cholera and yellow fever epidemics, killing 853 people in the summer of 1832. Hopkins saw the need for medical facilities. In 1870, he earmarked $7 million to establish a hospital and a college to train nurses. He also founded orphanages to take care of colored children, and a university.

From the humble beginnings of his vision during the Civil War, Hopkins was associated with institutions that have been making contributions even until today. Among them are the Johns Hopkins Colored Children Orphan Asylum, Johns Hopkins University, Johns Hopkins Press, and the Johns Hopkins Hospital, as well as the Johns Hopkins School of Nursing, Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, and the Johns Hopkins School of Hygiene and Public Health.