186 THE PORTRAIT GALLERY 



A PRODIGY OF PACKINGTOWN 



73. Possibly the most meteoric career enjoyed by one of the 

 younger business men of America is that of Thomas Edward Wil- 

 son, president of the packing industry of Wilson & Co. Mr. 

 Wilson was born in London, Ontario, July 22, 1868, of Scottish 

 descent. When nine years oH his parents moved to Chicago, and 

 he received his education in the Chicago public schools. Upon 

 graduation he secured a position with the Chicago, Burlington 

 & Quincy Railroad. While handling the special equipment rec- 

 ords in 1890 for the railway company, he overheard another clerk 

 strongly condemning a similar position with MoRRiS & Co., left 

 after a brief experience. Mr. Wilson sought and was given the 

 position, and then began his career in the meat packing industry. 

 He served the Morris company in various capacities, and in prac- 

 tically all departments, and by 1906 had achieved sufficient mas- 

 tery of the details of the organization to be elected vice president 

 of the company. On the death of Edward Morris, he succeeded 

 to the presidency in 1913. His success here was manifol-d, and 

 he rapidly acquired a reputation second to none among the deans 

 of the packing industry. 



In the spring of 1916 the New York interests which had been 

 financing the packing firm of Sulzberger & Sons Co. found the 

 latter had become so involved that they took charge of the busi- 

 ness themselves. Mr. Wilson was approached with a high sal- 

 aried proposition, but on a pure salary basis he refused to con- 

 sider a change. His years of experience with Morris & Co. made 

 him feel a loyalty to the original concern which a matter of salary 

 could not divert. Recognizing this, Mr. Wilson was again ap- 

 proached by the New York financiers and offered both a record 

 compensation and an option on a large number of shares of the 

 Sulzberger & Sons Co. stock at less than one-fifth of the face 

 value. This apparently low rate was named in order to reward 

 him thoroughly for upbuilding and stabilizing the business. Mr. 



