Owen Young's Birthday

Today is Owen Young’s birthday. Young was the second president of GE, when it dominated much of our industry from 1922 to 1939. He also founded RCA, thereby dominating the radio industry simultaneously. And then he led the international talks that succeeded in reducing World War One reparations, for which he was named Time Magazine’s Man of the Year.

Young was so famous and respected that he nearly ran for the U.S. presidency in 1932. He eventually gave way to his friend Franklin Roosevelt.

Young is a favorite of ours since he also founded the utility regulation publishing company that soon after started Public Utilities Fortnightly. His friend Clifford Spurr became PUF’s first Editor-in-Chief.