RUBBER MAGNATE DEAD

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 80, Issue 41, 18 February 1938, Page 11

RUBBER MAGNATE DEAD

IMR. HARVEY S. FIRESTONE HEAD OF WORLD-WIDE BUSINES.S CONCERN Cabled advice was received in Wellington on Wednesday of the death al Miami, Florida, of Mr. Harvey S. Firestone, president of the Firestone Tire and Rubber Company, at the age of 69. Harvey Samuel Firestone was bon, on a farm in the small town of Columbus, Ohio, on December 20, 186 S the son of Benjamin and Cathennc Flickinger Firestone. He receive.: grammar scnool, high school, and r.usmess college education, winning the scroll of uixtinction from 1h: Spencerian S.hool of Commercial Accounts and Finance, Cleveland. Latei he was awarded the honorary degree.of Doctor of Business Admin.s:r<iiion Mount Union College, Ohio, and LL.D., Kenyon College, Ohio. The three greatest interests of Mr Fire-’: mc’s lire, it was said, were hi. family, the organisation, and the In 1805 he married Idabclle Smith, and there are lour sons and a daughter. The eldest son is Harvey Samuel Firestone, jun., founder of numerous Firestone organisations, and vice-pre-sident or director of others. "I know of no liner family than the Firestone family,” said an admirer once. 1 know no finer father than the Firestone children have. 1 know of no iinei young men who have entered the business than Harvey, jun., and Russell Mrs. Firestone always preserved the custom of birthdays, and every one of the family received a cake on every birthday, even when it had to be sent a distance. An Episcopalian, the late Mr. Firestone’s association with the Church was a long and close one, and in 1922 he was honoured with the presidency of the Ohio Federation of Churches. Growth of Business. In 1900 the Firestone Tyre and Rubber Company of Akron, Ohio, was organised, Mr. Firestone opening business in an old building that had been used as a foundry. He installec second-hand machinery and gatherer 17 men, the best employees he coulc find. One week’s payroll amounted tc 80 dollars. By 1918 there were 800( workers, and 10,000 tyres were produced daily, and ten years later 12,000 workers produced about 45,00( tyres a day. To-day the employee! number over 40,000. From 1930-32, Mr. Firestone was president of the Firestone Rubbei CoiTipany of U.S.A., and from 1931 was chairman of the board. He heli the same position in the Firestone Steel Products Company and the Firestone Park Trust and Savings Ban,; and was an oflicer or director of man\ other subsidiary companies. He manufactured batteries, spark plugs, bi akc linings and several thousand mechanical rubber products and rubber automobile parts. He operated scvera hundred auto supply and service stores. He was largely instrumental in the investigation of the rubbei growing possibilities of the Philippines and South American countries. In Liberia he obtaineel a lease ol 1,000,000 acres of land for rubbei plantations, and by 1936 60,000 acre: had been planted.

Voluntary Service. During the Great War Mr. Firestone was a member of the Ohio Council for National Defence and was instrumental in organising the rubbei division of the War Industries Board He also organised the activities fo; war work of the Rubber Associatioi of America, of which he was presi dent, 1916-18. He was a member o numerous societies of engineers am chemists and a director of the Ameri can Academy of Tropical Medicine He wrote in 1922 "Rubber, Its Historj and Development," and in 1926, witi ■ Samuel Crowther, "Men and Rub ! ber." I Appreciation of Mr. Firestone’: i view of wealth and his outstanding service to the city of Akron was ex pressed at his sixtieth birthday party The guests, 1400 in number, include Firestone executives and employee and representatives of every religion denomination in the city. Reference were made to his gifts to the hospi tals, to his gifts to Princeton Univer sity of a chapel, and many other gilt, to charitable organisations. He don ated a yearly scholarship providin; four years’ college education to th high school student writing the bes essay on good roads and highwa, transportation. For his employees h built a magnificent clubhouse air created Firestone Park, including 36-hole golf course, and the Firtston Savings Brmk. To those who asked when he woub retire, he would reply: "Never. It ha been the joy of my life to watch th business grow from a small concer: to a world institution. So 1 try to b as big as our business with all it possibilities for service and happiness.