Procter, William (Cooper)

(born Aug. 25, 1862, Glendale, near Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.—died May 2, 1934, Cincinnati) U.S. manufacturer. A grandson of the founder of Procter & Gamble Co., he started working at the company in 1883. He served as president from 1907 to 1930, during which time sales rose from $20 million to over $200 million. Under his leadership the company pioneered in labour relations: he introduced a profit-sharing plan for employees (1887), guaranteed them 48 weeks of work a year (1920), and introduced a disability pension plan, a life-insurance plan, and employee representation on the board of directors.

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