Thomas John Watson, Sr. (February 17, 1874 – June 19, 1956) was the president of International Business Machines (IBM), who oversaw that company's growth into an international force from 1914 to 1956. Watson developed IBM's renowned management style and corporate culture, and turned the company into one of the most effective selling organizations yet seen, based largely around punched card tabulating machines. A leading self-made industrialist, h...
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Thomas John Watson, Sr. (February 17, 1874 – June 19, 1956) was the president of International Business Machines (IBM), who oversaw that company's growth into an international force from 1914 to 1956. Watson developed IBM's renowned management style and corporate culture, and turned the company into one of the most effective selling organizations yet seen, based largely around punched card tabulating machines. A leading self-made industrialist, he was one of the richest men of his time and was called the world's greatest salesman when he died in 1956.
Born on February 17, 1874, he was very much the country boy. His father owned a modest lumber business located in Painted Post, 40 miles southwest of Ithaca in south central New York State. He worked on the family farm in East Campbell, New York and attended the District School Number Five in the late 1870s.
Having given up his first job — teaching — after just one day, he took a year's course in accounting and business at the local...
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