Oscar Gustave Mayer Jr American businessman, largest producer of meat and frozen products Date of Birth: 16.03.1914 Country: USA

Biography of Oscar Gustav Mayer Jr.

Oscar Gustav Mayer Jr. was an American businessman and executive who served as the chairman of Oscar Mayer, the largest producer of meat and frozen products. He was the third Oscar Mayer to lead the family business, following in the footsteps of his grandfather, the company's founder Oscar Frederick Mayer, who passed away in 1955, and his father Oscar Gottfried Mayer Sr., who passed away in 1965.

Oscar Gustav Mayer was born on March 16, 1914. In 1934, Mayer graduated from the prestigious Cornell University. During his time there, he served as the business manager of the university's publication, the "Cornell Daily Sun," the oldest student newspaper in the United States. He was also a member of the student fraternity "Sphinx Head Society."

Afterwards, Mayer briefly attended Harvard Business School but had to leave due to health issues. In 1936, he began working in the accounting department of the Chicago branch of the family business and later transferred to Madison, which became the company's headquarters in 1955.

In February 1966, Oscar Gustav Mayer was elected chairman of the company, filling the vacancy left by his father's death almost a year earlier. Mayer attributed his success in managing the massive family enterprise to his meticulous attention to detail and his deep understanding of the company's operations. He started as one of the three accountants manually processing employee payroll accounts. Mayer believed that his humble beginnings allowed him to better understand the factory workers' hard work and to respect their efforts.

Despite being the face of the company, few consumers believed that there was an actual Oscar Mayer in the company named "Oscar Mayer" since Mayer Jr. avoided publicity. For a long time, the company's mascot was a dwarf named Little Oscar. Mayer had the opportunity to participate in a promotional tour with Little Oscar and the company's hot dog-shaped promotional vehicles called "Wienermobiles." Introduced in 1936, these iconic vehicles continue to distribute hot dogs and bring joy to people. Over the course of 70 years, the design of the Wienermobiles has changed several times.

After the company reached its first billion dollars in revenue, Mayer stepped down as chairman in 1977. Today, Oscar Mayer is a subsidiary of Kraft Foods but retains its name and logo. Mayer was married twice. His first marriage ended with his wife's death in 1998, and his second wife, Geraldine Fitzpatrick, whom he married in 1999, survived him. Mayer passed away on July 6, 2009, at the age of 95 in Wisconsin.