Alexander Legge

Alexander Legge (1866–1933) was a prominent American business executive, serving as president of International Harvester from 1922-1933. He performed public service during World War I on the War Industries Board and at the Versailles Peace Conference, and again during the Great Depression on the Federal Farm Board.

He was born January 13, 1866 in Dane City, Wisconsin to Alexander and Christine (Fraser) Legge. His parents and older sister Christina had emigrated to Wisconsin from Scotland in 1857. Legge and his family moved to Colfax County, Nebraska in 1876 where his father went into the cattle business. Legge worked with his father in farming and later tried his hand as a cowboy in Wyoming. Because of a lung condition he was forced to find a job that would allow him to be outdoors, but wouldn't expose him to dust or hazardously cold temperatures.

In 1891, Legge went to work as a collector for the McCormick Harvesting Machine Company branch office in Omaha, Nebraska. He got to know Harold Fowler McCormick when Harold took over the management of the business in the Nebraska area. In 1899, Harold McCormick returned to Chicago to become vice president of the McCormick Company. He called Legge to Chicago and appointed him head of McCormick's worldwide claims collection division. In 1902, when McCormick was merged into the International Harvester Company Legge was promoted first to assistant manager of sales and then general manager of the new company.

In 1919, Harold McCormick was elected president of the International Harvester Company. In 1922, Harold McCormick resigned the presidency to become chairman of the Board of Directors. At this point, Alex was elected president of the International Harvester Company (he held the position until his death in 1933). That same year he successfully defended the company in an anti-trust suit, allowing them to retain a dominant position in the farming industry. Standardization of farm implements was another major contribution he made during his tenure.

...
Wikipedia