Radio age research, manufacturing, communications, broadcasting, television (1941)

RCAs New President J OHN L. burns, who assumed the Presidency of the Radio Corporation of America on March 1, 1957, is no newcomer to RCA. As a senior partner and Vice Chair- man of the Executive Committee of the management consultant firm of Booz, Allen and Hamilton, he has been intimately associated with RCA activities for the past ten years. He worked closely with RCA in periodic reviews of the Corporation's objectives, policies, organ- ization planning, business programs and operations. Mr. Burns succeeded Frank M. Folsom who became Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Board of Directors. Brig. General David Sarnoff continues as Chairman of the Board and chief executive officer. A native of Watertown, Massachusetts, where he was born November 16, 1908, Mr. Burns was graduated as an electrical engineer from Northeastern University in 1930. He received his Master's and Doctor of Science degrees in metallurgy at Harvard, and taught there and at Lehigh University. While a student and instructor he was employed by the Western Electric Company and Dewey & Almy Chemical Company before joining Republic Steel Corporation in 1934. There he served in various executive capacities such as Director of Metal- lurgical Laboratories, Director of Quality Control, Di- rector of Process Engineering, Superintendent of Large Ingot Manufacture, Manager of the Grand Crossing Works and Superintendent of the Wire Division. He left in 1941 to join Booz, Allen and Hamilton. Made Studies for Major Corporations As a management consultant he and his firm made studies and implemented programs for one-third of the hundred largest corporations in the country, covering 350 of the 500 different lines of business in the United States, as well as practically every department of the executive branch of the Federal Government and a number of foreign governments and public institutions. The author of many papers on scientific and business subjects, Mr. Burns has served as a director of several important business and industrial corporations. He is married, the father of two children and lives in Green- wich, Conn. He is prominent in public affairs. Mr. Burns is President of the Greenwich Community Chest and Council, Member of the Board and Executive Committee of the Boys' Club of America, Member of the Board of the Executive Committee of the American Heritage Foundation, Director of the Common Cold Foundation, Inc., corporate member of the Crusade for John L. Burns Freedom, and Member of the Board of Visitors for the Air University, U.S.A.F. Commenting on his election to the Presidency of RCA, Mr. Burns said: "During the past ten years of fine personal association with General Sarnoff and Mr. Folsom and their executive staff, I have acquired great admiration for the RCA team, what it does and what it stands for. As I considered the future, I was deeply impressed with the opportunity for public service offered by this job. "RCA is an exciting company in an exciting indus- try. It was built well in the past and has a great base for the future. The company is important to the coun- try's well being and defense, in education, in informa- tion and in entertainment, and this importance is in- creasing. The company provides products or services in all of the leading countries in the world today. The company has been wonderful in pioneering, outstanding in engineering, and a leader in merchandising in both products and servicing. From the Morse code era, it took the first great step into sound transmission through the air, then sight and sound, and now we have the new dimension of color with us. This is a young organization, even though it spans the entire develop- ment of the art to date. "Today the principal problems for us to consider are these three: First, how do we get maximum profit from today's products and services? Second, how do we get the most effective results in putting color across? And third, where do we go from here, in the broad sense? RCA cannot be all things to all people, but it must be in a leadership position in important things in our chosen fields. This means increased growth and effort, but it also points up the great need for selectivity and the timing of our efforts." 8 RADIO AGE