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GE's big day in '49
Executives from the General Electric Co. hope they impressed Barack Obama during the president’s visit to Schenectady on Friday.
On April 19, 1949, executives from another era impressed 1,500 people who looked around the company’s new turbine plant. The open house was part of GE’s annual stockholders meeting, and people from all over the United States walked through company departments, visited the Knolls research laboratory, listened to speeches and had lunch. Not everyone could make it — General Electric had 249,886 stockholders in 1949. Posted on January 24, 2011.
A high-voltage group of General Electric Co. executives stands in Schenectady on April 19, 1949, for the company’s annual stockholders meeting. From left are directors Robert T. Stevens and Charles D. Dickey, G.E. President Charles E. Wilson, board Chairman Philip D. Reed and company secretary W.W. Trench.
Company President Charles E. Wilson, center, takes a close look at a turbine with stockholders, from left, Mrs. J.W. Stafford, who worked at GE until 1930; Jessie Adler of Miami Beach; and E.B. “Pops” Iversen, who worked at GE for more than 50 years.
Floyd Hamilton, a bucket assembler in GE’s turbine plant, shows two curious stockholders how blades are fitted onto the rotor of the machine. The woman in center is Mrs. R.R. Canna of Amsterdam; her friend is not identified.
Members of the General Electric Women’s Club serve refreshments to Wilson during the company’s annual meeting with GE stockholders. Judging from his smile, the food — and company prospects — were both excellent.
Ernestine Burke, 6, of Lonsdale, R.I., sits on top of a General Electric electric range during the company’s annual stockholders meeting on April 19, 1949. Brother Robert, 7, admires Ernestine’s cool demeanor over fire. The kids came to the meeting with their father.
Philip D. Reed, chairman of the board at the General Electric Co. in 1949, smiles as company employee Rita Orr gives him a name tag for the annual stockholders meeting. Orr worked in the turbine engineering department.
G.E. stockholders sit in a bay of the company's new turbine plant for the 1949 annual meeting.
An “attendant” for the General Electric Co. stands next to a 200-ton crane hook during the company’s annual stockholders meeting at the Schenectady plant.
The crane "attendant" took a seat for an enlightened -- and elevated -- look at the General Electric stockholders.
