Thomas J. Watson Sr.'s and IBM's Pre-World War II Efforts
Date Published: January 1, 2024
Thomas J. Watson Sr.'s and IBM's Pre-World War II Efforts
By the end of World War II, one out of every four IBMers would be in the service. The soldiers were mostly men—fathers, husbands, brothers, and uncles. The new employees that backfilled their critical jobs were mostly women—mothers, wives, sisters, and aunts.
Bringing Women into the Workforce at IBM
By the time of Pearl Harbor, women were an integral part of IBM. These are a few of the stories, dates, and newsworthy firsts for the women that prepared the corporation for the transition to a wartime economy and further integrated women into the corporation's workforce.
In September 1939, Tom Watson wrote an editorial for THINK Magazine entitled, “Faith.” The concluding paragraph gives some insight into his spiritual nature and how he found the strength to keep working for peace in a world with so many nations—in 1938, on the brink of war and—in 1939, at war.
Watson's Dream of Peace Fails
“[Nothing before, nothing behind;] The steps of faith fall on seeming void but find the rock beneath.”
Bob Hope—more than any other man or woman—is the outward face of the USO Camp Shows; but unknown to most—until the publication of this article—this great entertainer stood upon another great man's shoulders—the shoulders of a businessman. 
The Business Founder of USO Camp Shows
Tom Watson gave birth, on November 26, 1940, to what would become one of the most well known and respected organizations within the United Service Organizations (USO): The USO Camp Shows.
© 2024 Peter E. Greulich. All Rights Reserved
Information posted on this site recognizes the legal right of copyrighted material. The following material is considered in the public domain effective January 1, 2024: (1) works published in the United States prior to 1929, (2) all unpublished works created over 120 years ago, (3) works published in the United States before 1978 that have no © copyright notice, and (4) works published in the United States after 1928 but before 1964 with a proper © copyright notice that were not renewed in their 28th year. Some information is used here that does not fit this criteria. It has been purposely minimized, and it is used in good faith, usually with an attribution, and in the belief that such usage would withstand a test of fair use. This site also utilizes images from Pixabay that are "free to use under the Pixabay license" and "do not require attribution." Any concerns with the public domain, fair usage, or attribution of material utilized on this site will be removed until a discussion can resolve the matter with its permanent removal or republication. To reach this author, use the "Contact" menu item above or the hyperlink provided here: [Contact Us]