Swope, Gerard

(born Dec. 1, 1872, St. Louis, Mo., U.S.—died Nov. 20, 1957, New York, N.Y.) U.S. business leader. After graduating from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, he joined Western Electric in 1895 and became a director in 1913. He was made president of General Electric Co.'s international subsidiary in 1919 and greatly increased the company's foreign business. As president of General Electric (1922–39, 1942–44), he expanded its line of consumer products and pioneered profit sharing and other employee benefit programs. He also served on the Department of Commerce's Business Advisory Council, and his ideas and support underlay such important New Deal programs as the National Recovery Administration and Social Security.

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