Oscar Gottfried Mayer Sr American businessman, president and chairman of the board of Oscar Mayer Country: USA

Oscar Gottfried Mayer Sr. - A Biography

Oscar Gottfried Mayer Sr. was an American businessman, president, and chairman of the board of the company 'Oscar Mayer'. The company, known for its meat products, was founded by his father, Oscar Ferdinand Mayer, an immigrant from Germany. Oscar Gottfried Mayer Sr.'s exact date of birth is unknown, but it is believed that he was born around 1888.

In his youth, Mayer spent a lot of time helping his father in his Chicago store and at the nearby sausage factory. As Mayer grew older, his father, who arrived in the United States with no money, was able to afford his son's education at the prestigious Harvard University. Oscar graduated from the university in 1909 and obtained a job in one of the departments of the family business.

In 1919, Mayer led the acquisition of a meatpacking plant in Madison, Wisconsin, which became the main processing facility for the company. The company's headquarters were also established there. Under Mayer's leadership, the number of employees at the plant increased from 3,000 to 4,000. In 1928, Mayer became the president of the company and held this position until 1955 when he became the chairman of the board.

During his tenure, the family business, with an annual turnover of $4 million and around 200 employees, transformed into a massive corporation with a turnover of $300 million and a staff of 8,500 by 1965. In addition to his position in the family business, from 1924 to 1928, Oscar Mayer served as the president of an organization founded by meat producers, now known as the American Meat Institute. The main goal of the Institute was to improve the quality of meat products sold in the United States and increase sales.

Upon the insistence of the mayor of Chicago, Mayer participated in the city's public life starting in 1912 when he joined the board of trustees of the Chicago Public Library. From 1938 to 1940, Mayer served as the president of the Chicago Association of Commerce and Industry. He was also a member of the Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois from 1934 to 1940 and served as its chairman in 1938 and 1939. In 1965, Loyola University Chicago named Mayer as one of the six citizens who made the greatest contribution to the city's development. He was also honored by Northwestern University with a special award in 1951.

In 1952, Mayer suffered two heart attacks. He passed away on March 5, 1965, at the age of 76, at his home in Evanston, Illinois. In February 1965, his son, Oscar Gottfried Mayer Jr., took his place on the board of directors. Mayer was survived by his wife Elsa, a daughter, three sons, and 12 grandchildren. His will, consisting of 41 pages, provided for his children and wife, but the majority of his estate was directed towards charitable, scientific, and educational purposes.