Daniels, George E.
George E. Daniels was the first president of General Motors. He was one of three men, along with Benjamin Marcuse and Arthur W. Britton, that Billy Durant employed as incorporators when the company’s original articles of incorporation were filed in New Jersey on September 16, 1908. Six days later, these men elected themselves directors and Daniels was named interim president. He served as president for less than one month and was succeeded by William M. Eaton on October 20, 1908.
However, Daniels’ relationship with Billy Durant and General Motors did not end there. He served as president of the Oakland Motor Car Company, a business acquired by Durant for General Motors in 1909, from 1912 to 1914. In 1922, he was again hired by Durant. This time, Daniels was asked to take the position of general manager of Locomobile, when Durant purchased that company after his final ouster from General Motors.
George Daniels had interests in the automobile industry outside the realm of Durant and General Motors, as well. He founded the Daniels Motor Company of Reading, Pennsylvania in 1916. Touted as "the Distinguished Car," the Daniels Motor Company built low volume, highly esteemed luxury cars. The cars were built to order and featured custom coachwork along with a powerful, proprietary narrow-angle V8 engine. Daniels continued to build cars with his name on them until 1924.