John R. Opel: Difference between revisions

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'''John Roberts Opel''' (January 5, 1925, in [[Kansas City, Missouri]] – November 3, 2011, in [[Fort Myers, Florida]]) was a [[United States of America|U.S.]] computer businessman.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.chicagobooth.edu/daa/profile/johnopel.aspx|title=John R. Opel, '49|publisher=Chicago Booth School of Business|accessdate=23 April 2011}}</ref> He served as the [[president of IBM|president]] of [[IBM]] between 1974 and 1985.<ref name="ibm">{{cite web|url=http://www-03.ibm.com/ibm/history/exhibits/chairmen/chairmen_7.html|title=John R. Opel|publisher=IBM|accessdate=23 April 2011}}</ref> He then served as the [[CEO of IBM]] from 1981 to 1985<ref name="ibm" />and he was [[chairman of IBM]] between 1983 and 1986.<ref name="ibm" /> A discussion he had with [[Mary Maxwell Gates]] while they were both serving on the board of [[United Way of America|United Way]] resulted in an IBM contract being placed with her son Bill's company [[Microsoft]] to create an operating system for IBM's first personal computer.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://articles.latimes.com/1994-06-11/news/mn-2837_1_mary-gates|title=Mary Gates; Businesswoman, Mother of Microsoft's Bill Gates|publisher=Los Angeles Times|accessdate=23 April 2011|date=11 June 1994}}</ref>
'''John Roberts Opel''' (January 5, 1925, in [[Kansas City, Missouri]] – November 3, 2011, in [[Fort Myers, Florida]]) was a [[United States of America|U.S.]] computer businessman.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.chicagobooth.edu/daa/profile/johnopel.aspx|title=John R. Opel, '49|publisher=Chicago Booth School of Business|accessdate=23 April 2011}}</ref> He served as the [[president of IBM|president]] of [[IBM]] between 1974 and 1985.<ref name="ibm">{{cite web|url=http://www-03.ibm.com/ibm/history/exhibits/chairmen/chairmen_7.html|title=John R. Opel|publisher=IBM|accessdate=23 April 2011}}</ref> He then served as the [[CEO of IBM]] from 1981 to 1985<ref name="ibm" />and he was [[chairman of IBM]] between 1983 and 1986.<ref name="ibm" />


Born in Kansas City, Missouri, Opel grew up in Jefferson City, Missouri. He majored in English at Westminster College in [[Fulton, Missouri]]. He then fought in the [[Philippines]] and [[Okinawa]] in World War II and earned a MBA degree from the [[University of Chicago]] in 1949.
Born in Kansas City, Missouri, Opel grew up in Jefferson City, Missouri. He majored in English at Westminster College in [[Fulton, Missouri]]. He then fought in the [[Philippines]] and [[Okinawa]] in World War II and earned a MBA degree from the [[University of Chicago]] in 1949.

Revision as of 07:40, 3 April 2016

John Roberts Opel (January 5, 1925, in Kansas City, Missouri – November 3, 2011, in Fort Myers, Florida) was a U.S. computer businessman.[1] He served as the president of IBM between 1974 and 1985.[2] He then served as the CEO of IBM from 1981 to 1985[2]and he was chairman of IBM between 1983 and 1986.[2]

Born in Kansas City, Missouri, Opel grew up in Jefferson City, Missouri. He majored in English at Westminster College in Fulton, Missouri. He then fought in the Philippines and Okinawa in World War II and earned a MBA degree from the University of Chicago in 1949.

Upon graduation, Opel had two job offers, one to rewrite economics textbooks, and the other to take over his father’s hardware business.[3] While taking a fishing trip with his father and a family friend who worked for IBM, he was offered a third job as a salesman in central Missouri, and accepted.

In 1959 Mr. Opel became executive assistant to IBM CEO Thomas J. Watson Jr., after which he rose rapidly, taking positions in manufacturing and public relations and other departments, and managed the introduction of the IBM System 360 mainframe computer in 1964.

Opel died at his Fort Myers, Florida home in 2011.[4] He was 86.

References

  1. ^ "John R. Opel, '49". Chicago Booth School of Business. Retrieved 23 April 2011.
  2. ^ a b c "John R. Opel". IBM. Retrieved 23 April 2011.
  3. ^ New York Times 11/05/2011
  4. ^ "Former CEO John Opel - An Appreciation - United States". IBM. Retrieved 2011-11-05.
Business positions
Preceded by CEOs of IBM
1981–1985
Succeeded by