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Volume 2, No. 2
ST. PETERSBURG, FLORIDA
April, 1959
Harvey Firestone, Jr. Is Commencement Speaker
Thirty-Six Graduates To Receive
Degrees In Spring Exercises
Mr. Harvey S. Firestone, Jr., Chairman of the Board of Directors and Chief
Executive of the Firestone Tire & Rubber Company, Akron, Ohio, will deliver
the annual commencement address at the College of Law, Friday, May 29.
The ceremonies will be held in the auditorium of the Charles A. Dana Library,
beginning at 11:00 A.M. Diplomas will be presented by Dr. J. Ollie Edmunds,
president of the University. Members of the graduating class, the faculty, overseers, and trustees will be in the academic procession. The public is cordially
invited.
graduation with the famous rubber
company founded by his father, Mr.
Firestone lost no time in justifying the
confidence of his classmates who had
voted him "the man most likely to
succeed." Thirty years after receiving his AB degree from Princeton, he
was awarded the distinction of being
one of the twelve most outstanding
business leaders in America, as the
result of a nation-wide survey by
Forbes Magazine of Business.
Foreign Interests
Mr. Firestone has been particularly
active throughout his business career
in expanding the foreign interests of
his company. In 1926 he toured the
Philippines Islands, the Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, Java, Sarawak, Ceylon,
and Liberia to study the growing of
rubber and to ascertain a suitable region for its production. It was upon his
recommendation, made at the close of
the tour, that the Firestone Company
secured a 99-year lease of 1,000,000
acres of land from the Liberian government and converted the area into
the famous rubber plantations that
vitalized the tiny, impoverished West
African republic.
He helped establish in 1928 a Firestone Company plant in Brentford,
England. During the world depression
of the 1930's he demonstrated his
faith in the soundness of free enterprise by participating personally in
the establishment of Firestone plants
in Argentina, Spain, Switzerland, and
HARVEY S. FIRESTONE
Preceding the exercises will be a
breakfast in the Great Hall for the
thirty-six graduates, their guests, and
special guests of the University. On
this occasion, Dean Sebring of the
College of Law will announce the
members of the graduating class who
have distinguished themselves by
scholarship, participation in student
activities, and the winning of competitive awards and prizes.
Outstanding Business Leader
The distinguished commencement
speaker is a graduate of Princeton University, Class of '20. Among his many
honors are honorary degrees from the
University of Akron (Ohio), Lincoln
University of Oxford (Pennsylvania),
and the University of Liberia. Becoming associated immediately after
South Africa. As part of plans for post
war expansion, he dedicated in 1955
a new Firestone plant in Venezuela.
In 1956 he laid the groundwork for
a large tire manufacturing establishment in Cuba.
World War II Activities
As president of the Company, during World War II, Mr. Firestone directed activities in 48 plants in 19 states
and 10 foreign countries, producing
therefrom millions of tires for military vehicles, combat planes, busses,
and tractors. Firestone products saw
service from Oran to Okinawa. Firestone barrage balloons guarded cities
and convoys. Curtiss Commando
planes, flying on wings built by Firestone, carried tons of precious cargo
"over the hump" to China. Firestone-
built gliders dropped troops behind
the enemy lines in Europe.
Diversified Interests
Despite the tremendous responsibility of developing and supervising the
the far-flung world organization associated with his name, Mr. Firestone has
devoted much of his life to undertakings designed to alleviate suffering, promote culture, and establish a
closer bond between all people of all
races and creeds. Millions of American families have responded to his
quiet but earnest appeals over radio
and television to help sustain worthy
civic programs.
In 1956 he was national chairman
of the United Community Campaign.
The following year he was national
chairman of Brotherhood Week, sponsored by the national conference of
Christians and Jews. He has served as
a member of the International Development Advisory Board under both
President Truman and President Eisenhower, and is a member of the Board
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