biography
| name: |
Wilson, Charles E(rwin)
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known as Engine Charlie
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| sex:
| male
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| lived:
| (1890–1961)
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| biography:
| Automobile executive and US Cabinet member, born in Minerva, Ohio, USA. An electrical engineer, he designed automobile products for Westinghouse (1912–21), then became president of Delco Remy (1926–8). As vice-president of General Motors (1928–41), then president (1941–52), he recognized the United Auto Workers union, championed cost-of-living wage increases, and led his company through World War 2 as a major producer of military vehicles. As President Eisenhower's outspoken secretary of defence (1953–7), he began by angering liberals with his claim, ‘What's good for General Motors is good for America’, and ended by angering the military with severe cuts in the defence budget. |
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