Nimble financiers can build tremendous companies, but just as great as the problems of organization are those of obtaining capable executives. When Cyrus Stephen Eaton (no steelman) last week announced the final details of the merger between his steel companies, the head of the new Republic Steel Corp. was of course Tom Mercer Girdler whom, three months ago, he snatched from the presidency of Jones & Laughlin Steel (TIME, Nov. 4). Last week Jones & Laughlin announced that a man had been obtained to fill the Girdlerless post of presidency. He is George Gordon Crawford, who has been president of Tennessee Coal, Iron & Railroad Co., large U. S. Steel subsidiary since 1907. To fill Mr. Crawford’s position however, U. S. Steel did not go outside of its ranks but promoted Herbert C. Ryding, longtime (since 1917) operating vice president of Tennessee Coal, Iron & Railroad.
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