Gordon, John F.
John F. Gordon served as President and Chief Operating Officer of General Motors from September 1, 1958 until his retirement from the corporation on May 31, 1965.
Gordon began his career with General Motors as a laboratory technician with the Cadillac Motor Car Division in Detroit. He had an unusual ability for combining engineering, salesmanship and production skills with a down-to-earth approach to employee relations. These traits helped the personable executive achieve the top ranking operating position in General Motors.
Gordon spent his entire industrial career with General Motors. He left imprints of his contribution in nearly every division. Two GM divisions that benefited most from his achievements are the Allison and Cadillac divisions.
Born May 15, 1900, in Akron, Ohio, Gordon was educated in grade and high schools in Greeley, Colorado, and in 1922 graduated from the United States Naval Academy. The following year he received a Master of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Michigan.
He joined Cadillac in September 1923, serving as a laboratory technician prior to being promoted to foreman of the experimental laboratory in 1929. In 1933 he became motor design engineer, a position he filled until 1940, when he was called upon by General Motors for product study work in forward engine design, a staff activity in Detroit. The threat of war soon resulted in a shift in his operations to the Allison Aircraft Engine Division at Indianapolis.
Anticipating what the needs in aircraft would be if the war in Europe should envelop the United States, his product study group tackled engine design from the standpoint of utilizing manufacturing experience gained while producing precision engines for automobiles. His number one assignment was to work with Allison engineers in designing and developing liquid cooled aircraft engines of higher horsepower ratings to equip bigger and faster fighter aircraft needed by the allies. But his liaison with Cadillac was so close that it was tantamount to a split operation. Before World War II was over, tens of thousands of Allison engines were manufactured and Cadillac was producing more than 170 precision parts for each engine.
Gordon continued his Allison operation until 1943, when he began spending more time at Cadillac, transferring his talents from aircraft engines to other defense items — tanks and motorized artillery. His wide engineering experience led to his appointment as chief engineer of the division on June 1, 1943. Subsequently Cadillac became the design agency for light tanks and related armored vehicles that were produced by several other manufacturers in the United States. A new tank motor and transmission resulted from his concentration on Cadillac's assignment to build faster and more mobile tanks.
Working with other GM engineers, Gordon was instrumental in developing and introducing high compression V-8 engines of the overhead type became standard throughout the automobile industry.
Under Gordon, Cadillac broke all production and sales records for the division before he left on July 10, 1950, to become vice president in charge of GM's Engineering Staff. His primary responsibility in that position was forward product development for the entire company. In his new position he made top engineering decisions on Diesel engines, Frigidaire appliances, aircraft engines, autos and all other GM products.
On January 1, 1951, Gordon was named Group Executive in charge of Body and Assembly Divisions. At the same time he was elected to the GM Board of Directors and to the company's Administration and Operations Policy Committees. As Group Vice President, general managers of three GM divisions, encompassing 38 plants with some 100,000 employees, reported to him. A large portion of the approximately five billion dollars GM spent on expanding plant facilities during the post-war period was assigned to divisions under Gordon's direction.
Gordon was elected President and Chief Operating Officer of the company by the Board of Directors to succeed Harlow H. Curtice on August 25, 1958, effective September 1, 1958. At the same time he was named Chairman of the Executive Committee, which replaced the Operations Policy Committee, and a member of the Finance Committee, which succeeded the Financial Policy Committee. He became a member of the Bonus and Salary Committee in 1966 and chairman in 1967.
Sources
General Motors Public Relations Department Press Biography: John F. Gordon (1967)
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