Gerard Swope

Gerard Swope

Gerard Swope (December 1, 1872 – November 20, 1957) was a U.S. electronics businessman. He served as the president of General Electric Company between 1922 and 1939, and again from 1942 until 1944. During this time Swope expanded GE's product offerings, reorienting GE toward consumer home appliances, and offering consumer credit services.

Swope is possibly best-known for his labor relations innovations. While at GE, Swope implemented numerous labor reforms, making conditions better for employees with voluntary unemployment insurance, profit-sharing, and other programs considered radical in their day. Swope increased sales and overall efficiency (economics), earning high profits and market share, while focusing on employee training, retention, and loyalty. Before the passage of the Wagner Act, Swope "had long supported labor legislation."

He designed FDR's National Recovery Administration program.

In 2005, Forbes Magazine ranked Swope as the 20th most influential businessman of all time.

Swope was born in St. Louis, Missouri to Jewish immigrant parents. He graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1895. He married Mary Dayton Hill. He was the brother of Herbert Bayard Swope, and father of Henrietta Swope and John Swope, the Hollywood and Life Magazine photographer who married actress Dorothy McGuire.

He died in New York City in 1957.

Preceded by Charles A. Coffin	President of General Electric 1922 – 1940	Succeeded by Charles E. Wilson
Preceded by Charles E. Wilson	President of General Electric 1942 – 1945	Succeeded by Charles E. Wilson