Background
Gordon, Melvin Jay was born on November 26, 1919 in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. Son of Jacob S. and Sadye Z. (Lewis) Gordon.
food company executive diversified executive
Gordon, Melvin Jay was born on November 26, 1919 in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. Son of Jacob S. and Sadye Z. (Lewis) Gordon.
He received a bachelor"s degree from Harvard University in 1941 and a Master of Business Administration from Harvard Business School in 1943.
He served as the chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Tootsie Roll Industries for fifty-three years, from 1962 until January 2015. Gordon, who was 95 years old, was the oldest Chief Executive Officer of a company trading on a major American stock exchange at the time of his death in 2015. He oversaw the day-to-day production of the company"s trademark brands, including Tootsie Rolls, Tootsie Pops, Junior Mints, and Charleston Chews.
As of 2015, the company manufactures approximately sixty-four million Tootsie Rolls per day.
After college, Gordon moved to a military training school in Camp Lee, Virginia, where he was hired as a quartermaster instructor. He later became the editor of Quartermaster Journal.
Gordon then became the chief executive of a women's hosiery and knitwear company headquartered in Manchester, New Hampshire. Ellen Gordon"s father was William Rubin, the president of the Sweets Company of America, which manufactured Tootsie Rolls and Tootsie Pops.
Gordon became the Chief Executive Officer of the company in 1962, a position he held until his death in January 2015.
The company changed its name to Tootsie Roll Industries in 1966. Under Gordon, Tootsie Roll Industries acquired Mason and Bonomo, the manufacturer of Dots gumdrops, during the 1970s. The company also purchased the Charm Company, the maker of Charms Blow Pops, in the 1980s.
Gordon added the Junior Mints and Sugar Daddy"s to the company"s product acquisitions during the 1990s.
He also oversaw the purchase of the Dubble Bubble and Andes Chocolate Mints by Tootsie Roll Industries in the early 2000s. In 2006, Gordon donated $25 million to build the Ellen and Melvin Gordon Center for Integrative Science at the University of Chicago.
Gordon continued to work a full daily schedule until December 2014. Melvin Gordon died in Boston, Massachusetts, on January 20, 2015, following a short illness at the age of 95.
Gordon"s widow, Tootsie Roll Industries president and chief operating officer Ellen Gordon, was appointed as the company"s new chairman and Chief Executive Officer by the board of directors following her husband"s death.
Member President's Citizens Advisory committee Fitness American Youth, 1957-1960, executive committee 1959-1960. Delegate White House Conference Youth Fitness, 1962. Co-chairman Committee Support Psychological Offensive, 1961-1963.
Board directors member executive committee Council World Tensions, New York City, 1960-1965. Chairman Massachusetts Governor's Committee Youth Fitness, 1958-1964. Board directors New England Economic Education Council, 1960-1963, New Hampshire Council on World Affairs, 1962-1965.
Board directors, chairman executive committee Citizen Exchange Corps., New York City, 1964-1966, honorary chairman advisory council 1966-1967. Delegate Prime Minister's Economic Conference, Israel, 1968, 73. Board overseers Harvard College, member visiting committee behavioral science, 1967-1971, visiting committee psychology, 1972.
Visiting committee Russian Research Center, 1972-1976. Director Rensselaerville Institute, New York, since 1966. Chairman Northeast region Married Committee for Weizmann Institute of Science Rehovot, Israel, 1972-1973.
Director American committee, 1973-1975. National trustee National Symphony Orchestra, Washington, since 1993. Member Chief Executives Organization, World Business Council, World Affairs Council Boston (treasurer, board directors 1966-1967, vice president, board directors 1968-1974), New England Society New York City, Harvard Varsity Club, Harvard Club (Boston).
Clubs: Harvard (Boston). Varsity (Harvard).
Married Ellen Rubin, June 25, 1950. Children: Virginia Lynn, Karen Dale, Wendy Jean, Lisa Jo.