Background
John Bierwirth was born on April 21, 1895, in New York City, New York, United States, the son of Carl Julius Bierwirth, a physician, and Nettie Gheradine Cocks.
John Bierwirth was born on April 21, 1895, in New York City, New York, United States, the son of Carl Julius Bierwirth, a physician, and Nettie Gheradine Cocks.
John attended the Brooklyn Latin School, graduated from the Hotchkiss School in Lakeville, Connecticut, in 1913, and received a B. A. degree from Yale in 1917. At Yale, Bierwirth joined the Battery, a precursor to ROTC. The summer before graduation his unit trained in Texas, partially in response to a perceived threat from Pancho Villa's raiders. The class of 1917 graduated early, sending many of its young men to the American Expeditionary Force in Europe. Bierwirth was a first lieutenant in the 308th Field Artillery and saw combat.
Upon returning to New York City, Bierwirth joined Thompson, Starrett Company, building contractors. He remained with this firm for ten years and became vice-president. Bierwirth joined the New York Trust Company, the predecessor of Chemical Bank, in 1929 as vice-president. As a banker he became involved, through the extension and supervision of the bank's credit, with the recovery of many industrial firms from the Great Depression. He was president and trustee of the bank from 1941 to 1949.
In recognition of the bank's investment role and of its president's financial expertise, many corporations sought Bierwirth's participation as a director. In 1942, Bierwirth joined the board of directors of the National Distillers Products Corporation, a producer of a highly profitable line of spirits including Old Grand Dad bourbon and Gilbey's gin. He did not, as a matter of personal taste, drink alcohol but he did not disapprove of its use. In 1948 management of National Distillers began to recruit Bierwirth as the firm's president. Bierwirth did not accept until 1949, when he received assurances from the directors that he could pursue a course of product diversification for National Distillers.
National's expansion into the chemical industry began quickly. A plant in Ashtabula, Ohio, for the production of metallic sodium and chlorine was built in 1950, and U. S. Industrial Chemicals, a firm that produced chemicals, resins, insecticides, and antifreezes, was made a subsidiary of National in 1951. In quick succession Algonquin Chemical Corporation, Intermountain Chemical Corporation, and National Petro-Chemicals Corporation were also acquired. In 1954, 25 percent of National's $500 million business was in chemicals, and the liquor business continued to thrive. Bridgeport Brass was acquired in 1961, at a time when chemicals and plastics were rivaling the liquor sales. In 1966, Beacon Manufacturing and Inwood Knitting added a significant position in textiles. Almaden Vineyards was acquired in 1967. Net sales of all products exceeded $1 billion in 1970.
The growth of National Distillers was also fueled by its entering international markets. Bierwirth's son, John C. , joined the corporation in 1957 and became international vice-president in 1958. The European economy was taking off, and National established subsidiaries in Germany, Belgium, Italy, Sweden, and Northern Ireland. Although plastics were well established in the United States, European markets were ready for rapid growth.
Bierwirth served as a director of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York for six years, the last three as chairman (1957 - 1959). He relinquished the presidency of National Distillers in 1965, retaining his role as chief executive officer and chairman of the board. Bierwirth resigned as CEO in 1970 and as chairman in 1975. He remained on the board as chairman of the executive committee. During the post-Bierwirth years National Distillers became predominantly a liquefied petroleum gas and petrochemicals concern, changing its name to Quantum Chemical Corporation in 1987.
Bierwirth was a loyal supporter of the Hotchkiss School, serving on the board of trustees from 1942 to 1946 and from 1946 to 1962 as president of the board. He also donated the hockey rink at Hotchkiss that bears his name. He was also a trustee of Presbyterian and Beekman hospitals in New York City.
The Bierwirths lived in suburban Cedarhust, New York. Their family life was characterized by enthusiasm for athletics and outdoor recreation. Family vacations included fishing trips, visits to working ranches, and other vigorous activities. Bierwirth died in Cedarhurst, New York.
Bierwirth hunted and fished regularly, and remained an active and skillful golfer, with a handicap of six.
During his youth Bierwirth developed an enthusiasm for and high proficiency in sports that lasted a lifetime. He excelled on his high school and college baseball and hockey teams and was named by Grantland Rice to the 1917 All-America college hockey team.
Bierwirth married Alice von Bernuth on May 24, 1922; they had two children.