Charles C. Tillinghast Jr.
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Charles C. Tillinghast Jr. (1911-July 25, 1998) was a former chairman of TWA and Brown University chancellor.
Tillinghast was on the staff of district attorney Thomas E. Dewey in New York City. He was a partner with the law firm Hughes, Schurman and Dwight and was vice president of the Bendix Corporation when he assumed the job of TWA in 1961 a deal sponsored by creditors seeking to oust Howard Hughes from control of the airline. Because control of the airline was in litigation, Tillinghast received an employment contract, dubbed a “golden parachute”, the first known use of that term. He was to serve as chairman until 1976.
Tillinghast oversaw a golden era for TWA as it moved to a hub system and achieved dominance in the trans-Atlantic market, and expanded TWA's reach into the hospitality industry by way of its purchase of the Hilton Hotels chain through a newly created division call the Trans World Corporation. He was criticized for ignoring the Pacific and domestic U.S. routes. During his tenure the airline industry went through major changes including spikes in fuel prices and the advent of terrorists.
Tillinghast was chancellor of his alma mater from 1967 to 1978.
