Thomas Watson Jr.

14 January 1914 – 31 December 1993

Thomas J. Watson Jr. was an American businessman who served as president and chief executive of IBM from the 1950s to 1971. Son of the company's founder Thomas J. Watson, he committed IBM to electronic computing and oversaw the System/360 family of machines. He later served as United States Ambassador to the Soviet Union.

Comparing
Compare

Lived at the same time

Well-documented people whose lives overlapped with Thomas Watson Jr..

Life events

Born in Dayton, Ohio
14 January 1914

He was born the eldest son of IBM president Thomas J. Watson.

Source: en.wikipedia.org
Birth ✓
Graduates from Brown University
1937

He earned his bachelor's degree at Brown before joining IBM as a salesman.

Source: en.wikipedia.org
Education ✓
Serves as a pilot in the United States Army Air Forces
1940 – 1945

He flew during the Second World War and reached the rank of lieutenant colonel.

Source: en.wikipedia.org
Career ✓
Returns to IBM after the war
1946

He rejoined the company and pressed it to move from punched-card machines into electronics.

Source: en.wikipedia.org
Career ✓
Becomes president of IBM
1952

He was named president, succeeding to day-to-day leadership of the company from his father.

Source: en.wikipedia.org
Career ✓
IBM announces the System/360
7 April 1964

The compatible family of mainframe computers was announced after a development programme that risked the company's finances.

Source: en.wikipedia.org
Achievement ✓
Steps down as chief executive of IBM after a heart attack
1971

He gave up the chief executive role and later became chairman of the executive committee.

Source: en.wikipedia.org
Career ✓
Serves as United States Ambassador to the Soviet Union
1979 – 1981

He was appointed ambassador in Moscow by President Jimmy Carter.

Source: en.wikipedia.org
Career ✓
Dies in Greenwich, Connecticut
31 December 1993

He died following a stroke at the age of 79.

Source: en.wikipedia.org
Death ✓