Course Title: Business 201,  Business Titans 

Prerequisite: None

Credits:  4

The Business Department endeavors to indentify the most influential business people in the history of Western Civilization, and the starting point is this course,  Business 201, Titans. Henry Ford, Andrew Carnegie, John D. Rockefeller Sr., and to a lessor extent Harvery Firestone, Alexis Carrel, and Charles Lindbergh are highlighted in this set. The Business Departments hopes that the inquisitive student will continue exploration into the other Business 200 series of courses.

Henry Ford is one of a dozen, or fewer,  Americans who so entirely transformed the business landscape that any listing of titans without his name on it would be a great historical travesty. In the latest account of the life of Henry Ford, The People's Tycoon, published in 2005 and written by Steven Watts, the RSU student will learn a great deal about the life of the man, and of course his business accomplishments. Henry Ford fancied himself a man of the people, but was defeated in his only attempt at public office. His established a $5 dollar work week, which was about double what the average was up until then and he advanced the idea of assembly line work. The motivation of his benevolence, was of course, to sell cars. Interestingly, he contends to not have gotten into the automobile business to get rich, but to help people. This terrific work of Steven Watts is a great read for students interested in the life of business people, this is not a story about the Ford Motor Company.

Before there was Gates, and before Buffett, before Disney, before Ford, there was Rockefeller. John D. Rockefeller, Sr. The first recorded billionaire is history, the head of infamous Standard oil, the master of the monopoly, the man who was not afraid to use violence to achieve his goals. But he also held deep religious convictions? In Ron Chernow's Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr. we learn all that and more. What was Standard Oil, that which controlled 90% of the country's oil market? It was a "cooperation." A cooperation that came to define what a monopoly means, controlling all aspects of a commodity: its discovery, extraction, refinement, delivery, and retail sale. This is a great story of a man who's legacy is still felt today. Whose heir's include a Vice President, and who's name appears on a great New York City landmark, Rockefeller Center.

Uncommon Friends is including in this course for the very obvious reason of it addressing the life of 5 extremely influential businessmen in American history. It just so happens that James. D. Newton, the author, knew all these men quite personally. Rarely does a clique of such stature get such exposure from a trusted insider. This is not a book about digging up trash on former friends, this is a story of fond and honest recollection. The students will learn how Lindbergh was dismayed by the role of aviation in WWII, how Firestone was a proponent of consensus management. Other interesting tidbits include Henry Fords interest in soy beans to replace metal parts in his cars and the deep religious convictions of all these men. A great treasure for so many reasons, this book will be a valued addition to any bookshelf.

Carnegie by Peter Krass, and published in 2002, is included in the course of Business Titans, because to not have included Andrew Carnegie in our discussion of great American Business men would be horrible. It would be a great task indeed to fine someone, somewhere who doesn't know the name Carnegie, or at the very least hasn't been touched by the great philanthropic works of the man. How many libraries are named after Andrew Carnegie, Universities? Museums? Music Halls? How many men could it of been said had the ear of presidents for decades? How many men transformed the face of business? How many men started with nothing, and through hard work ascended to the pinacle of wealth and influence. But on the other side, the man was ruthless. He paid little. He fought against the rise of Unions. He was vindictive to even his colleagues. To be sure, he was not a simple man, but his story is essential to the rise of American business.