Monroe Jackson Rathbone II

Monroe Jackson Rathbone II (March 1, 1900 – August 2, 1976) was an American businessman who was the chairman, president, and CEO of Standard Oil of New Jersey (now the Exxon Corporation).

Monroe Jackson Rathbone II
7th President of the Standard Oil Company (New Jersey)
In office January 1, 1954 – March 31, 1963
Preceded by	Eugene Holman
Succeeded by	Michael L. Haider
9th Chairman of the Standard Oil Company (New Jersey)
In office April 1, 1963 – February 28, 1965
Preceded by	Leo D. Welch
Succeeded by	Michael L. Haider
Personal details
Born	(1900-03-01)March 1, 1900 Parkersburg, West Virginia, U.S.
Died	August 2, 1976(1976-08-02) (aged 76) Baton Rouge, Louisiana, U.S.
Spouse	Eleanor Groves ​ (m. 1922)​
Children	2
Relatives	Jackson Rathbone (great-grandson)
Education	Lehigh University (BS, 1921)
Military career
Allegiance	United States
Service / branch	United States Army
Years of service	1918–1919
Rank	Second Lieutenant

Early life and education

Rathbone was born in Parkersburg, West Virginia, the son of Ida Virginia (née Welch) and Monroe Jackson Rathbone. He graduated from Parkersburg High School in 1918.

Rathbone received a Bachelor of Science in chemical engineering from Lehigh University in 1921.^[1]

Business career

Rathbone joined Standard Oil of New Jersey in 1921 as a design engineer at the Baton Rouge refinery of Standard Oil of Louisiana. In 1923, he was promoted to the operations division of Louisiana Standard as an experimental engineer. In 1924, he was named assistant to the general superintendent. In 1926, he became general superintendent, then assistant general manager and vice president. In 1944, he was appointed president and director of Standard 's new Esso Division. In 1949, he was named to the board of directors of the parent Standard Oil Company. In 1953, Rathbone was named president of Standard Oil of New Jersey, and in 1959 he was named CEO. In 1962, he was elected chairman of the board of directors of Standard Oil of New Jersey. He retired in 1965.^[2]

He served on the boards of directors for many other major corporations, including Bethlehem Steel, American Telephone and Telegraph, and Prudential Insurance, and on such private groups as the Deafness Research Foundation, the National Fund for Medical Education, and the Council for Financial Aid to Education. He was active in the Lehigh Alumni Association, serving as board chairman and president; was board chairman of the American Petroleum Institute and a director of Junior Achievement. During World War II, he served on President Roosevelt's Business Council.

Personal life

Rathbone was married in 1922 to Eleanor Groves, and had two children - Eleanor Virginia and Dr. Monroe Jackson Rathbone III. Jackson Rathbone is Rathbone's great-grandson.

A resident of Summit, New Jersey, Rathbone maintained a country home near Baton Rouge, Louisiana.^[2]

Rathbone died at the age of 76 on August 2, 1976, at Baton Rouge General Hospital.^[1]

References

1. Saxon, Wolfgang. "Monroe J. Rathbone Dies at 76; Former Exxon Chief Executive", The New York Times, August 3, 1976. Accessed March 15, 2016. "Monroe Jackson Rathbone, retired board chairman and chief executive officer of the Exxon Corporation and one of the most important figures in the history of the oil industry, died yesterday at General Hospital in Baton Rouge, La. He was 76 years old."
2. Carmical, J.H. "JERSEY STANDARD FILLS TOP POSTS; Two Executives Promoted -- Rathbone Is Retiring", The New York Times, February 16, 1965. Accessed March 15, 2016. "Mr. Rathbone said he would continue to live in Summit, N. J., but also expected to spend more of his time at his country home near Baton Rouge."