John Gideon Searle

John Gideon "Jack" Searle (1901–1978) was an American heir, businessman and philanthropist.^[1][2][3][4]

Early life

John Gideon Searle was born March 18, 1901 in Iowa.^[1][2] His paternal grandfather was Gideon Daniel Searle, founder of G. D. Searle & Company in 1888.^[1][4] His father, Claude Howard Searle, served as President of the family business after his grandfather's death in 1917.^[1] He began working for the family business at the age of fourteen, working every summer through high school and college.^[1] He graduated from the University of Michigan with a Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy.^[1][4]

Business career

At Searle, he worked as a buyer in 1923, and then was appointed office manager and treasurer.^[1] In 1931, he became Vice President and general manager of Searle, up until 1966.^[1] To remain competitive during the Great Depression, he reduced its product lines and focused on successful products such as Aminophyllin, Metamucil and Dramamine.^[1] He also launched the first oral contraceptive drug Enovid in 1957.^[2][3] He moved its headquarters to Skokie, Illinois in 1942.^[4]

In 1966, his son Daniel C. Searle became President of Searle.^[1] His other son, William L. Searle, as well as his son-in-law, Wes Dixon, also worked for the company.^[4]

Philanthropy

In 1964, he set up the Searle Fund at The Chicago Community Trust.^[3] The Searle Family Trust later created the Searle Scholars Program.^[3][4]

He was inducted in the American National Business Hall of Fame.^[1] Northwestern University and Yale University have endowed professorships named for him.^[5][6] The John G. Searle Chair at the American Enterprise Institute, named in his honor, is currently held by Benjamin Zycher.^[7] Assistant professorships named after Searle exist in all departments at the University of Michigan School of Public Health.

Death

He died in 1978.^[1][3]

References