William H. Gesell (June 8, 1890 – June 6, 1956)"William Gesell, Drug Executive; Ex-Vice President of Lehn & Fink Dies--U.S. Delegate to World Congresses," The New York Times. June 7, 1956. was an American engineer, business executive and director of Lehn & Fink Products Corporation in Bloomfield, New Jersey,Lehn & Fink Products Co. - Lehman Brothers Collection - Baker Library, at hbs.edu, 2007. Accessed 2017-09-25. now Sterling Drug. He served as the 2nd president of the Society for Advancement of Management in the years 1937–1939.Advanced Management: Quarterly Journal. Volume 21. 1956. p. 1985
Biography Youth and early career Gesell was born in Jersey City, New Jersey in 1890, son of William Jacob Gesell and Laura (Thomas) Gesell.World Who's who in Commerce and Industry, Volume 1. 1936. p. 368Williams Haynes (1886-1960, ed). Chemical Who's who, 1937. p. 169John W. Leonard, Winfield Scott Downs, M. Lewis (M.), Who's who in Engineering, Volume 5. 1941. p. 653John William Leonard, William Frederick Mohr, Herman Warren Knox. Who's who in New York City and State. Volume 11. 1947. p. 388 His father William J. Gesell (1865–1922) was one of the pioneers of Lehn & Fink,James Bennett. "Cosmetics and Skin: Lehn and Fink," at www.cosmeticsandskin.com, 2017. Accessed 2017-09-25. a New York wholesale druggists and manufacturing chemists. He had died suddenly after thirty-nine years at Lehn & Fink.Drug & Chemical Markets. Volume 11. 1922. p. 1317. Gesell attended Columbia UniversityWinfield Scott Downs, M. Lewis (M.), Who's who in Engineering: A Biographical Dictionary of the Engineering Profession. 1931. p. 481. and the University of Michigan, where he graduated from in 1911.The Michigan Alumnus, Volume 27. 1921. p. 136
After graduation he started his career as engineer with Lehn & Fink, Inc. In the late 1910s at Lehn & Fink, Inc. Gesell supervised the completion of a new plant in Hoboken, N. J., including supervision of the machinery and power plant.The Michigan Technic, Volumes 32-33. 1919. p. iv After its completion William H. Gesell has been appointed general manager of the Lehn & Fink plant.Paper: Devoted to the Manufacture, Sale and Use of Pulp and Paper, 1919. p. 142.
Later career and honours By 1924 at Lehn & Fink, Inc. Gesell was works manager,Drug and Chemical Markets, Volume 15, 1924, p. 797 by 1931 Vice President,National Association of Retail Druggists (U.S.). NARD Journal. Volume 51. 1930. p. 203. and by 1941 President of the company.Mergent Moody's Industrial Manual, Volume 1. 1941. p. 235.
Gesell also served as president of the Society for Advancement of Management in the years 1937–1939 as successor of Ordway Tead, and was succeeded by Myron Henry Clark. In 1939 he was awarded the Taylor Key Award, one of the highest awards of the Society for Advancement of Management.SAM, S.A.M. advanced management journal, 1963. p. 40Special Libraries Association. Science-Technology Division, Margaret A. Firth. Handbook of scientific and technical awards in the United States and .... 1956. p. 364
Selected publications William H. Gesell. "Edible product and process of making the same." U.S. Patent No 1,475,574, 1923.
References
External links Cosmetics and Skin: Lehn and Fink, about the history of Lehn & Fink.