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George E. Daniels

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George E. Daniels
Daniels in 1914
Born(1875-04-17)April 17, 1875
Franklin, Massachusetts, U.S.
DiedMarch 24, 1954(1954-03-24) (aged 78)
Danbury, Connecticut, U.S.
Known forFirst president of General Motors
Founder of the Daniels Motor Company
Spouse(s)Teresa Holmes (1906-?)
Marion (Philips) Hart (m. 1912)
Children1

George Emery Daniels (April 17, 1875 – March 24, 1954) was an American automobile industry executive who was the founder of Daniels Motor Company.

Early life

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Daniels was born in Franklin, Massachusetts on April 17, 1875, to Mancy M. and Mary E. Daniels.[1] In 1898, he graduated from Tufts College, where he played tackle for the school's football team.[2][3] In 1901 he graduated from Harvard Law School.[4] He practiced law in Massachusetts and New York for eight years before entering the automobile industry.[2]

Personal life

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On February 20, 1906, Daniels married Teresa Holmes in the chantry of Grace Church. Rev. William Reed Huntington performed the ceremony.[5] On August 2, 1912, Daniels married Marion (Philips) Hart, ex-wife of Charles Henry Hart, in Philadelphia.[6][7] They had one son, George Emery Daniels Jr.[8]

Career

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General Motors

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In 1908, Buick owner William C. Durant engaged attorney Curtis R. Hathaway to draw up articles of incorporation for General Motors. On September 15, 1908, the certificate of incorporation was signed by Hathaway, Daniels, and Benjamin Marcuse. On September 22, Daniels was chosen to be president of the new corporation. Soon thereafter, GM purchased Buick. On October 20, 1908, the GM's bylaws were changed and a new board of directors and group of officers were elected.[9] Daniels chose to remain with GM as the manager of Buick's Philadelphia branch. In 1910, he was named vice president and general manager of another GM division, the Oakland Motor Car Company.[10] During his four years in charge of Oakland, Daniels was able to double the company's sales from $500,000 a year to $1 million.[2] He left Oakland in 1914.[11]

Daniels Motor Company

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In 1915, Daniels organized the Daniels Motor Company to construct luxury eight-cylinder, closed-body vehicles that were close to custom made.[12] In 1920, due to increased business, the Daniels Motor Company underwent a major restructuring. It acquired the Keystone Vehicle Works, which had manufactured bodies for Daniels.[13][14][15] The reorganized Daniels company relocated to the Keystone factory, which it planned on expanding.[15][14] The company also announced plans for a new $500,000 factory on a six-acre site in Fox Chase, Philadelphia.[16][17] The company spent too much on raw materials and equipping its factory to remain profitable and on January 19, 1923, with $840,000 in liabilities, the Daniels Motor Car Company went into receivership.[18] The company's assets were sold off the following year.[19][20]

Later career

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From 1924 to 1929, Daniels was vice president and general manager of the Locomobile Company of America, a subsidiary of his former GM boss William C. Durant's Durant Motors.[21][22] In 1934, he was elected to the board of directors of the Munson Steamship Line.[23]

Later life

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After leaving Locomobile, Daniels returned to the practice of law. He had an office in New York City until the early 1950s, when he moved to Danbury, Connecticut. He died on March 24, 1954, at Danbury Hospital.[4][8]

References

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  1. ^ Annual Report of the Receipts and Expenditures of the Town of Franklin for the Fiscal Year ending January 31, 1876. Boston: Rockwell and Churchill. 1876. p. 34. Retrieved January 15, 2024.
  2. ^ a b c "Friendly Tips About Some "Big Ones"". Automobile Trade Journal. XXVI (3): 27. September 1, 1921. Retrieved January 15, 2024.
  3. ^ "Oakland Progresses Under Good Manager". The Gazette Times. April 6, 1913. Retrieved January 15, 2024.
  4. ^ a b "Daniels, Who Made Autos Here, Dies". Reading Eagle. March 25, 1954. Retrieved January 16, 2024.
  5. ^ "Personal". Boston Evening Transcript. February 21, 1906. Retrieved January 15, 2024.
  6. ^ "G. E. Daniels Weds Divorcee". The New York Times. August 13, 1912.
  7. ^ "General Trade Notes". The Implement Age. XL (7): 17. August 17, 1912. Retrieved January 15, 2024.
  8. ^ a b "George Daniels, 79, Made Early Autos". The New York Times. March 26, 1954.
  9. ^ Pound, Arthur (1934). The Turning Wheel: The Story of General Motors Through Twenty-Five Years, 1908–1933 (PDF). Doubleday, Doran, & Company. Retrieved January 15, 2024.
  10. ^ "In The Retail World". The Motor World. XXV (5): 301. November 3, 1910. Retrieved January 15, 2024.
  11. ^ "Personal Items". Automobile Trade Journal. XVIII (13): 79. June 1, 1914. Retrieved January 15, 2024.
  12. ^ "Reading to Place an Eight-Cylinder Automobile on the Market". Reading Eagle. August 28, 1915. Retrieved January 16, 2024.
  13. ^ "Automotive". Michigan Manufacturer and Financial Record. 25 (21): 20. May 22, 1920. Retrieved January 16, 2024.
  14. ^ a b "Daniels Heads New Motors Organization". Automotive Financial News. XLII (20): 1140. May 13, 1920. Retrieved January 16, 2024.
  15. ^ a b The Duryea Automotive Era in Reading, Berks County, Pennsylvania. Historical Society of Berks County. 1996.
  16. ^ "Another Plant for Daniels Motor Co". Reading Eagle. May 30, 1920. Retrieved January 16, 2024.
  17. ^ "Construction and Equipment". The Iron Trade Review: 1435. May 13, 1920. Retrieved January 16, 2024.
  18. ^ "Receivers Directed to Operate Daniels". Automotive Industries. XLVIII (4): 198. January 25, 1923. Retrieved January 16, 2024.
  19. ^ "Daniels Motor". The Wall Street Journal. January 18, 1924.
  20. ^ "Sold for $140,000". Reading Eagle. April 20, 1924. Retrieved January 16, 2024.
  21. ^ "Men of the Industry and What They Are Doing". Automotive Industries: 907. November 20, 1924. Retrieved January 16, 2024.
  22. ^ "Personals". American Machinist. 70 (6): 264g. February 7, 1929. Retrieved January 16, 2024.
  23. ^ "Munson Line". The Wall Street Journal. September 8, 1934.
Business positions
Preceded by
Position created
 President of General Motors
September 22, 1908–October 20, 1908 		Succeeded by
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