Malcolm T. Stamper

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Malcolm Stamper, the longest serving President in Boeing’s history, is best known for leading 50,000 people in the race to build the 747 jetliner. Mr. Stamper grew up in Detroit and joined Boeing after working for General Motors.

The 747 was a monumental engineering and management challenge. With the company's future riding on the 747, Mr. Stamper led its development and the creation of the world's biggest factory to build it (the Everett plant is the size of 40 football fields).

He served as president of the company and a member of the board of the directors from 1972 until 1985, when he became vice chairman of the board. During the 1969-70 recession, Mr. Stamper presided over the laying off of nearly two-thirds of its 101,000 employees. But by the late 1970s, the 747 was a huge success. By the time Mr. Stamper retired in 1990, Boeing seemed to face no serious threat from McDonnell Douglas or from European upstart Airbus. He predicted that the company would remain No. 1 for the foreseeable future.

He also served on boards at Nordstrom, Chrysler, Travelers Insurance, Pro Air, the Seattle Art Museum and the Smithsonian Institution.

Source: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/obituaries/2002339060_stamperobit17.html