Big Business Trivia Quiz

Answer: Cornelius Vanderbilt, Sr.

Cornelius (Sr., he also had a grandson named Cornelius) founded Vanderbilt University. His son, George, built the 'Biltmore' estate near Asheville, NC.

Answer: Sam Walton

Walton opened the first Wal-Mart in 1962. By using the 'superstore' strategy, Wal-Mart became America's largest retailer in 1991, surpassing Sears.

Answer: Bill Gates

William Henry Gates III founded Microsoft in 1975 with Paul Allen. With the development of Windows, the company became a world powerhouse.

Answer: Hanes

J. Wesley Hanes formed Shamrock Mills Co. (Hanes Hosiery) and Pleasant Hanes formed P.H. Hanes Knitting Co. They were joined in 1965 as Hanes Corporation. Consolidated Foods Corporation (now Sara Lee) acquired Hanes in 1979. Hanes became the number 1 brand of apparel in 2000.

Answer: R. J. Reynolds

Richard Joshua Reynolds started R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. in Winston-Salem, N.C., a town with only a few hundred residents and no paved roads but was a main railroad stop. He introduced the 'Camel' brand in 1913. Incidentally: P.H. Hanes (from question 4) Tobacco Co. was sold to R.J. Reynolds in 1900 for {$175,000.}

Answer: J. P. Morgan

J.P. took over the firm after his father, J.S., died. When asked by a congressional committee if money was the basis of commercial credit, he replied, 'No sir, the first thing is character.... a man I do not trust could not get money from me on all the bonds in Christendom.' Morgan became the symbol of Wall Street and helped restore confidence after the panic of 1907.

Answer: Michael Dell

Michael Dell started Dell Computer Corporation with {$1000} from his dorm room at the University of Texas at Austin.

Answer: Ford

Though Ford did not invent the automobile, his assembly line method of production made it more affordable.

Answer: William Boeing

Under his guidance, a tiny airplane manufacturing company grew into a huge corporation of related industries. When post-Depression legislation in 1934 mandated the break-up of the corporation, Boeing sold his interests in the Boeing Airplane Company, but continued to work on other business ventures. He lived until 1956, long enough to see the company he started enter the jet age.

Answer: Estee Lauder

Leonard Lauder, chief executive of the company his mother founded, says she always thought she 'was growing a nice little business.' And that it is. A little business that controls 45 percent of the cosmetics market in U.S. department stores. Lauder's first department store account was established in 1948 with Saks Fifth Avenue in New York City.

Answer: Charles Merrill

Merrill founded Charles E. Merrill and Co. in 1914. He had formed a friendship and later a partnership with Edmund Lynch while working in the office of a textile firm. After partnering, they changed the name to Merrill Lynch and Co. In 1941, Merrill Lynch was the first firm to publish an annual report.

Answer: Walt Disney

Mickey Mouse made his debut in the 1928 film 'Steamboat Willie.' Walt Disney's first feature-length film was 'Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs' in 1938.

Answer: Charles Pfizer

Charles Pfizer and cousin Charles Erhart were German immigrants. They started their chemical firm in 1849. Today, among many products, drugs and medicines, probably Pfizer's most recognized is Viagra.

Answer: Frank Woolworth

In 1879, Woolworth opened a five-cent store in Utica, NY a few months before the five-and-dime store but the store failed. After opening over 1,000 five-and-dimes across the U.S. and foreign countries, the F.W. Woolworth Co. was incorporated in 1911. Two years later he built the famed Woolworth Building in NY City. Then the highest building in the world stood 792 feet tall.

Answer: J.D. Rockefeller

Rockefeller and his associates formed Standard Oil in 1870. The company grew through acquiring competitors. The Sherman Antitrust Act was designed to dissolve monopolies and was a forerunner to the Federal Trade Commission. Though Rockefeller was a big businessman, he was also a generous donor. Throughout his life he gave away over {$550} million to charities.

Answer: Ted Turner

Ted won the America's Cup in 1977 with his yacht 'Courageous', and then showed up drunk to collect the prize. He has worn a Confederate officer's uniform, complete with sword, to corporate {negotiations;} managed the Atlanta Braves (which he owns, along with the NBA's Atlanta Hawks) from the dugout during a particularly bad {season;} and challenged his arch-enemy, fellow media mogul Rupert Murdoch, to a televised boxing match in Las Vegas.

Answer: Levi Strauss

Jacob Davis, a tailor from Reno, Nevada, actually started the riveting technique but lacked the funds for a patent. Davis and Strauss formed a partnership to produce the popular denim jeans in 1872.

Answer: Louis B. Mayer

A three-way deal merged Metro Pictures, the Goldwyn Company and Mayer Productions into MGM. Mayer, a Russian immigrant, was responsible for the careers of stars such as Clark Cable, Greta Garbo, Spencer Tracy, Judy Garland, Joan Crawford and numerous others. He was also responsible for movies such as 'Ben-Hur', 'A Night at the Opera' and 'The Wizard of Oz.'

Answer: John Mack

Mack used a slogan in advertisements for many years, especially when they produced buses...'The first Mack was a bus and the first bus was a Mack.' Mack trucks have a long-standing reputation as tough, high quality vehicles.

Answer: P.T. Barnum

Phineas Taylor Barnum opened his American Museum in NY in 1842 featuring exhibits of freaks such as Tom Thumb and the original Siamese Twins. 'The Greatest Show on Earth' opened in 1871. Barnum merged with his chief competitor, James Bailey, in 1881. Barnum died in 1891, 28 years before Ringling Brothers joined the traveling show.

Answer: Raymond Kroc

Brothers Dick and Mac McDonald owned a hamburger stand in San Bernardino, CA. Ray Kroc convinced them they could open several restaurants as franchises and sell them the milk shake maker. Incidentally, 100 shares of stock bought during the 1965 IPO would have cost {$2,250} and would have multiplied into 74,360 shares and been worth {$2.8} million in Dec. 1998.

Answer: George Eastman

Eastman introduced a handheld camera in 1888. He was a pioneer in offering profit-sharing to his employees. He was also a generous donator, giving away over {$100} million.

Answer: Milton Hershey

Hershey's Kisses were first produced in 1907. The 'plume' sticking out of the top is a registered trademark as well as the configuration with the familiar foil wrap. Hershey's also makes York, Reese's, Almond Joy, and many other candies.

Answer: J. Willard Marriott

Marriott also pioneered in-flight catering at Washington's old Hoover Airfield (now the site of the Pentagon) serving Eastern, American and Capital Airlines. Marriott also operated several restaurants including the Roy Rogers fast food chain.

Answer: William Procter

William Procter and James Gamble went into business at the encouragement of their father-in-law, Alexander Norris. Neither had had intentions of settling in Cincinnati and may have never met had they not married sisters. Gamble's son, James Norris, developed a high quality soap in 1879 and Proctor's son, Harley, named it 'Ivory'.