PERSONNEL: Changes of the Week, Dec. 16, 1957

¶ Harry Oppenheimer, 49, was elected chairman of the boards of South Africa’s De Beers Consolidated Mines, Ltd. (diamond), Anglo American Corp. (gold) and 14 other subsidiary companies to replace his father, Sir Ernest Oppenheimer, who died a fortnight ago (TIME, Dec. 9). A dark-mustached carbon copy of Sir Ernest, “Young Harry” learned the diamond business long before he went to Oxford to finish his education in 1931. He captained a company of Britain’s Desert Rats against Rommel’s troops in World War II, returned to Johannesburg in 1944 to take up a multitude of directorships. He occupied his father’s old seat in the South African Parliament for ten years, was a leader in the United Party, which opposes Prime Minister Strydom’s racist policies. Six years ago Sir Ernest began turning over control of the empire to Harry, made him co-managing director of Anglo American. As he was elected chairman, Harry resigned his Parliament seat, donated $2,800,000 of his personal fortune to a new Ernest Oppenheimer Memorial Fund to be used in furthering his father’s charities.

¶ Donald P. Kircher, 42, vice president of Singer Manufacturing Co. since 1952, was picked as president to succeed 67-year-old Milton C. Lightner (see Management). Kircher, whose latest assignment has been overseeing Singer’s current overseas expansion (Brazil, Japan, the Philippines and Australia) as Lightner’s assistant, was born in St. Paul, Minn., graduated from Columbia University Law School in 1939, joined the Manhattan law firm of Winthrop, Stimson, Putnam & Roberts. He served 21 months in Europe during World War II as a tank commander, was twice wounded, returned to the U.S. with three Silver Stars, the Belgian Croix de Guerre with Palm, and a presidential unit citation. In 1948 he joined Singer, for which he had done legal work, next year became an assistant vice president, worked on labor-management problems.

¶ Frederic N. Schwartz, 51, was named president of Bristol-Myers Co. (Ipana, Bufferin, Vitalis), to succeed Lee H. Bristol, elected chairman of the board. The first nonmember of the Bristol or Myers families to occupy the presidency, Syracuse Graduate (’31) Schwartz did sales work for New England manufacturers of metal stampings and surgical instruments until 1942, went to Washington to serve with the U.S. Army Medical Corps. He joined Bristol-Myers in 1945, in 1946 moved up from executive vice president to president of Bristol Laboratories, an ethical drug subsidiary.

¶ Charles E. Spahr, 44, executive vice president of Standard Oil Co. (Ohio) since 1955, was chosen president to succeed Clyde T. Foster, 64, who continues as chairman of the board and chief executive officer. The youngest president in Sohio history, Spahr graduated as a civil engineer from the University of Kansas in 1934 and from Harvard Business School in 1938. He worked briefly for Phillips Petroleum Co., joined Sohio in 1939 as a pipeline engineer before going to Burma in World War II as an Army Corps of Engineers major in charge of pipeline construction. Back at Sohio, he took a management job in transportation, became vice president for transportation in 1951. In 1952 he took time out to serve as director of the supply and transportation division of the Government’s Petroleum Administration for Defense.