George W. Mason
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George Walter Mason (March 12, 1891 - October 9, 1954) was an American industrialist. During his career Mason served as the Chairman and CEO of the Kelvinator Corporation (1928-1937), Chairman and CEO of the Nash-Kelvinator Corporation (1937-1954), and Chairman and CEO of American Motors Corporation (1954).
George W. Mason was born in Valley City, North Dakota. Mason received his education at the University of Michigan where he designed a specific course for engineering students that combined three years of engineering and a final year in business administration.
Mason had worked for local garages in his youth and upon receiving his degree from Michigan, he accepted a position with Studebaker. Mason changed employers several times before entering military service during World War I. In 1921, Mason secured a position with Walter P. Chrysler at Maxwell-Chalmers which Chrysler had reorganized and would use to develop Chrysler brand automobiles.
From Maxwell-Chalmers, Mason went to Copeland Products of Detroit in 1926 before becoming the President of the Kelvinator Corporation, a leader in the emerging electric refrigeration industry. Under Mason, Kelvinator quadrupled its profits and became second only to General Motors Frigidaire product line in home refrigeration sales despite the effects of the Great Depression.
When Charles Nash, founder of Nash Motors began looking for his successor, he turned to Mason upon the recommendation of Walter Chrysler. Mason initially rebuffed Nash’s offer, however when Nash asked what it would take to bring Mason over to Nash, Mason stated that he wouldn’t take the position if Kelvinator wasn’t included in the deal. Nash saw merit in this idea; General Motors owned Figidaire, BorgWarner owned Norge Appliance and Chrysler operated its own air-conditioning units. Nash and Mason came to terms and the deal announced in November 1936. The two firms merged to form Nash-Kelvinator Corporation with Mason as its CEO. By 1940, Mason continued to grow Kelvinator’s market share and returned Nash to profitable status.
Following World War II, Mason began exploring the possibilities of envelope bodies for full-size cars at the behest of Nash’s Chief of engineering, Nils Erik Wahlberg. The two moved ahead with an aerodynamic body design for the 1949 Nash that would extend the body of the car to cars front wheels. The design was introduced as the Airflyte, and enshrouded front wheels remained a Nash hallmark until 1957.
Mason also became fascinated with small cars, especially the concept of a small, inexpensive car and how one would fit into Nash’s plans for future development. As a result, Nash introduced three compact car lines:
- Nash Rambler – Mason’s vision for a small inexpensive compact car was changed in light of raw goods shortages, so Mason directed the car to emerge not as a stripped down economy car, but as an upmarket compact sedan-convertible.
- Nash-Healey – the first American sports car after the Great Depression and developed with partners in Great Britain and Italy.
- Metropolitan – a subcompact car built in cooperation with Great Britain’s Austin Motors.
By 1953, all of the independent automobile manufactures were also feeling the after effects of Henry Ford’s plan to dump tens of thousands of vehicles into the market at discounted prices to try and wrestle the top automotive manufacturing title from GM. General Motors responded by doing the same. With the market flooded by inexpensive cars, Studebaker, Packard, Willys, Hudson, Kaiser Motors, and Nash were all unable to sell vehicles at loss-leader prices to keep up with Ford and GM.
Mason’s answer to this was to band independents together and benefit from the varieties of strength that each brought to the table. While formal and informal talks were held, the only merger that Mason entered into was with Hudson Motor Car Company of Detroit which occurred in the early months of 1954 to form American Motors Corporation (AMC). Similar mergers between Willys and Kaiser, Studebaker and Packard also happened between 1953 and 1954.
Within months of the closure of the deal, George Mason died of acute pancreatitis and pneumonia. Mason's protégé, AMC Vice President George W. Romney, succeeded Mason as Chair and CEO. One of Romney's first acts was to stop rumors that there were additional merger talks between AMC and Studebaker-Packard Corporation or any automakers. According to Mason's obiutary in the October 18, 1954 edition of Time Magazine, had AMC and Studebaker-Packard joined, it would have resulted in the second largest automaker in the world, behind General Motors.
Following his death it was disclosed that Mason, a former President of Ducks Unlimited, had left a fourteen mile stretch of land along the Au Sable River to the Michigan State Department of Conservation for public use.
Also see: Nash Motors Also see: American Motors Corporation Also see: Nash-Kelvinator Corporation
[edit] Sources
- Who Was Who in America. A component of Who's Who in American History. Volume 3, 1951-1960. Chicago.
- Biography and Genealogy Master Index. Farmington Hills, Mich.: Thomson Gale, 1980- 2006.
- George Mason, Newsweek October 18, 1954
- George Mason, Milestones, Time Magazine, October 18, 1954.
- Changes of the Week: George Romney Succeeds Mason. Time Magazine, October 25, 1954
- George W. Mason, American National Biography Online, February 2000 edition.
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| Nash Motors | ||
| 1916 - 1957 Historic: | ||
| Nash: | | 600 | Airflyte | Advanced Six | Ambassador | Nash-Healey | La Fayette | Metropolitan | Rambler | Rebel | Statesman | |
| Affiliated: | | Ajax | American Motors | Hudson | Nash-Kelvinator | Rambler (AMC) | |
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American Motors Corporation
Historic: |
| Rambler: | Ambassador by Rambler | American | Classic | Marlin | Rambler | Rebel |
| AMC: | Ambassador | AMX | Concord | Eagle | Gremlin | Hornet | Javelin | Marlin | Matador | Mighty Mite | Metropolitan | Pacer | Rebel | Spirit |
| Renault: | LeCar | Alliance | Encore | Fuego | Medallion | Premier |
| AMC & Rambler Concept Cars: | Rambler Tarpon | AMC Cavalier | AMC AMX-GT |
| Affiliated with: | American Motors Corporation | AM General | Chrysler | Hudson | Jeep | Kelvinator | Nash Motors | Nash-Kelvinator | Rambler | Renault | Australian Motor Industries | Vehiculos Automotores Mexicanos |
| People | Roy Abernethy | A.E. Barit | Roy D. Chapin Jr. | George W. Romney | Richard A. Teague | George W. Mason | Gerald C. Meyers | Edmund E. Anderson | François Castaing |
| [ edit ] Category |
