Background
James Newton Gunn was born in Springfield, Ohio, United States on September 3, 1867, the son of Rev. James W. and Mary Catherine (Johnson) Gunn. His boyhood and youth were spent in his native city .
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James Newton Gunn
Edit ProfileEducation
James Newton Gunn passed through the public schools and continued studying, under private tutors, languages, mathematics, and engineering.
Career
In the early 1890’s James Newton Gunn became connected with the Library Bureau, Boston, Massachusetts, and while with this organization, he developed the use of commercial card indices. During his service with the Library Bureau, which included several years spent abroad organizing its foreign business, he studied business systemization and became a pioneer in the new field of industrial and production engineering.
Upon his return from Europe in 1901 he organized the firm of Gunn, Richards & Company, Business Consultants. As president of this firm, he came into intimate contact with the inner workings of many corporations and came to be recognized as an authority on corporation management. Between 1901 and 1911 he did valuable work for the Regal Shoe Company, Campbell’s Soup Company, the Pennsylvania Steel Corporation, and other large organizations.
In 1911 he was called upon by the Studebaker Corporation to evolve a cohesive automobile unit out of the old wagonbuilding concern.
In the course of two years as general manager he completely reorganized the company and fulfilled his mission successfully.
Then his services were secured by the United States Tire Company.
Being a trained thinker and a minutely critical analyst, he mastered the requirements of this, to him, comparatively strange industry after a few months and was prevailed upon to accept the presidency of the company in November 1915. At the same time he was made assistant to the president of the United States Rubber Company, the parent organization.
Gunn’s association with these companies continued for eight years, during which time the tire company’s sales practically doubled and the net profits increased fifty per cent.
He was also active in the general councils of the rubber industry, being a director and a member of the executive committee of the Rubber Association of America.
In 1923 he was compelled to give up these associations because of ill health, but he subsequently incorporated his own consulting-engineering business and was quite active during the remaining three years of his life, serving as receiver of the Hodgman Rubber Company and as engineer of Lockwood, Greene & Company.
Gunn assisted in the organization of the Harvard Graduate School of Business Administration, and was one of its first lecturers.
He represented the Rubber Association on the War Industries Board during the World War and was president of the Lincoln Highway Association for four years.
Achievements
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James Newton Gunn was a director and a member of the executive committee of the Rubber Association of America, representative of the Rubber Association on the War Industries Board during the World War, and was president of the Lincoln Highway Association. He became the president of the Studebaker Corporation, as well. Also James Newton Gunn perfected and patented the tab type of index card and the vertical file, both of which are now in universal use. He studied business systemization and became a pioneer in the new field of industrial and production engineering.
Membership
James Newton Gunn was a member of the executive committee of the Rubber Association of America.
Personality
James Newton Gunn was a trained thinker and a minutely critical analyst.
Connections
James Newton Gunn was married to Mabel Scott of New York, they had three daughters.
