William H. Gesell Explained

William H. Gesell (June 8, 1890 – June 6, 1956)^[1] was an American engineer, business executive and director of Lehn & Fink Products Corporation in Bloomfield, New Jersey,^[2] now Sterling Drug. He served as the 2nd president of the Society for Advancement of Management in the years 1937-1939.^[3]

Biography

Youth and early career

Gesell was born in Jersey City, New Jersey in 1890, son of William Jacob Gesell and Laura (Thomas) Gesell.^{[4] [5] [6] [7]} His father William J. Gesell (1865-1922) was one of the pioneers of Lehn & Fink,^[8] a New York wholesale druggists and manufacturing chemists. He had died suddenly after thirty-nine years at Lehn & Fink.^[9] Gesell attended Columbia University^[10] and the University of Michigan, where he graduated from in 1911.^[11]

After graduation he started his career as engineer with Lehn & Fink, Inc. In the late 1910s at Lehn & Fink, Inc. Gesell supervised the completion of a new plant in Hoboken, N. J., including supervision of the machinery and power plant.^[12] After its completion William H. Gesell has been appointed general manager of the Lehn & Fink plant.^[13]

Later career and honours

By 1924 at Lehn & Fink, Inc. Gesell was works manager,^[14] by 1931 Vice President,^[15] and by 1941 President of the company.^[16]

Gesell also served as president of the Society for Advancement of Management in the years 1937-1939 as successor of Ordway Tead, and was succeeded by Myron Henry Clark. In 1939 he was awarded the Taylor Key Award, one of the highest awards of the Society for Advancement of Management.^{[17] [18]}

Selected publications

• William H. Gesell. "Edible product and process of making the same." U.S. Patent No 1,475,574, 1923.

External links

• Cosmetics and Skin: Lehn and Fink, about the history of Lehn & Fink.

Notes and References

1. "William Gesell, Drug Executive; Ex-Vice President of Lehn & Fink Dies--U.S. Delegate to World Congresses," The New York Times. June 7, 1956.
2. https://www.library.hbs.edu/hc/lehman/company.html?company=lehn_fink_products_co Lehn & Fink Products Co. - Lehman Brothers Collection - Baker Library
3. Advanced Management: Quarterly Journal. Volume 21. 1956. p. 1985
4. World Who's who in Commerce and Industry, Volume 1. 1936. p. 368
5. Williams Haynes (1886-1960, ed). Chemical Who's who, 1937. p. 169
6. John W. Leonard, Winfield Scott Downs, M. Lewis (M.), Who's who in Engineering, Volume 5. 1941. p. 653
7. John William Leonard, William Frederick Mohr, Herman Warren Knox. Who's who in New York City and State. Volume 11. 1947. p. 388
8. James Bennett. "Cosmetics and Skin: Lehn and Fink," at www.cosmeticsandskin.com, 2017. Accessed 2017-09-25.
9. Drug & Chemical Markets. Volume 11. 1922. p. 1317.
10. Winfield Scott Downs, M. Lewis (M.), Who's who in Engineering: A Biographical Dictionary of the Engineering Profession. 1931. p. 481.
11. The Michigan Alumnus, Volume 27. 1921. p. 136
12. The Michigan Technic, Volumes 32-33. 1919. p. iv
13. Paper: Devoted to the Manufacture, Sale and Use of Pulp and Paper, 1919. p. 142.
14. Drug and Chemical Markets, Volume 15, 1924, p. 797
15. National Association of Retail Druggists (U.S.). NARD Journal. Volume 51. 1930. p. 203.
16. Mergent Moody's Industrial Manual, Volume 1. 1941. p. 235.
17. SAM, S.A.M. advanced management journal, 1963. p. 40
18. Special Libraries Association. Science-Technology Division, Margaret A. Firth. Handbook of scientific and technical awards in the United States and .... 1956. p. 364