New President

John Webster Thomas, 51, was elected president of Firestone Tire & Rubber Co., succeeding Founder Harvey Samuel Firestone who became chairman after being president 29 years. Fortnight ago Mr. Firestone pleased stockholders when he told them the company had earned almost four times as much in 1931 as in 1930. Last week, they were reassured, the new title did not mean his retirement. John Thomas started as Firestone's first chemist. He was then 28, got a salary of $100 a month, a $10 raise from his previous job. The company employed about 700 men, and a corner of one shop was partitioned off for the laboratory. He had gone to Buchtel College, now Akron University, had a degree and was proud of it, though he was the only college graduate employed by Firestone for many years. Now he is affectionately known to everyone as "J. W." just as Mr. Firestone is called "H. S." Mr. Thomas was a good football player, still plays around Akron golf courses in the low 80's. He is still hard boiled. His 200 Ib. are carried on a tall, powerful frame. Across a desk his piercing grey eyes make many a junior executive quake as he gets off his favorite saying: "Things don't just happen. You've got to make them happen." On the desk is a card with three questions on it. "What is it?" "How do you know it?" "What of it?" Away from work he is gentle, softspoken, well-mannered. He is married, has five children. Like the polo-playing Firestone boys, Harvey Jr. and Russell Allen, one of whom may some day be president, both of his sons are in the Firestone Co. where they started working in the summer during school holidays.

At the Firestone plant workmen were jubilant over Mr. Thomas' election. They consider him one of themselves. They know him as an experienced rubber man who has had faith in Mr. Firestone for many years and has in turn been trusted and rewarded.

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