W. Paul Tippett Jr.

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W. Paul Tippett Jr.
Born
Willis Paul Tippett Jr.

(1932-12-27)December 27, 1932
Crawfordsville, Indiana, U.S.
DiedAugust 20, 2015(2015-08-20) (aged 82)
Panton, Vermont, U.S.
Alma mater
Occupation
Spouse
  • Carlotta Prichard
    ​
    (m. 1959)​
Children2

Willis Paul Tippett Jr. (December 27, 1932 – August 20, 2015) was an American business executive who was the president, chairman, and chief executive officer of the American Motors Corporation, president of Springs Industries, and president and CEO of STP.

Early life[edit]

Tippett was born on December 27, 1932, in Crawfordsville, Indiana to Willis and Edna Tippett. Tippett graduated from Culver Military Academy and Wabash College. He starred in Wabash's production of Mister Roberts and was a member of the school's football and tennis teams. From 1978 to 1983 he was a member of the college's board of trustees.[1]

Tippet was an intelligence officer in the United States Navy.[1] On January 24, 1959, Tippett married Carlotta Prichard, daughter of General Vernon Prichard, at the Fort Myer chapel.[2] They had two children.[3]

Career[edit]

After leaving the Navy, Tippett worked for Procter & Gamble.[1] In 1964, Tippett joined Ford Motor Company's marketing department, where he rose to the position of director of marketing for Ford of Europe.[4] In 1975, Tippett joined STP, an automotive aftermarket products company owned by the Studebaker-Packard Corporation, as an executive vice president.[4] He was promoted to was president and CEO the following year, but left after only two months.[4][5] He then served as an executive vice president of the Singer Corporation. In this role, Tippett headed the company's sewing products division.[4]

On October 20, 1978, Tippett was named president of American Motors Corporation. As president, Tippett was the company's number two officer and oversaw almost all vehicle-making operations.[4] In 1982, with AMC's partnership with Renault struggling to succeed, chairman and chief executive officer Gerald C. Meyers left the company and Tippett was promoted to replace him.[6] In 1984, Tippett relinquished the CEO title to company president Jose Dedeurwaerder. On April 24, 1985, Tippett resigned as a company employee as part of a cost-cutting move.[7] He remained chairman of the board until December 13, 1985, when he was replaced by Renault executive Pierre Semerena.[8]

From 1985 to 1989, Tippett was president of Springs Industries.[9][10]

Later life[edit]

After leaving Springs Industries, Tippett served as chairman of the Council of Great Lake Industries, an alliance of U.S. and Canadian businesses.[11]

In 1980, Tippett and his wife moved to Panton, Vermont, where he died on August 20, 2015.[3]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c "In Memory". Wabash Magazine. Winter 2016. Retrieved January 20, 2024.
  2. ^ "Miss Prichard, W. P. Tippett Jr. Married in South:". The New York Times. January 25, 1959.
  3. ^ a b "Willis P. Tippett". Rutland Herald. September 16, 2015. Retrieved January 20, 2024.
  4. ^ a b c d e "American Motors Looks Outside Its Ranks And Names W.P. Tippett Jr. as President". The Wall Street Journal. October 23, 1978.
  5. ^ "Studebaker's STP Corp. Says Tippett Resigns as President". The Wall Street Journal. August 5, 1976.
  6. ^ Koten, John (January 18, 1982). "AMC Forms 3-Man Management Team; Tippett Named Chairman as Meyers Quits". The Wall Street Journal.
  7. ^ "AMC's Tippett to Resign but Stay Chairman". The Los Angeles Times. April 25, 1985.
  8. ^ "A.M.C. Names New Chairman". The New York Times. December 14, 1985.
  9. ^ Darlin, Damon; Kilman, Scott (June 27, 1985). "AMC Chairman Tippett to Take Post At Textile Firm; More Changes Seen". The Wall Street Journal.
  10. ^ Bennett, Amanda (December 22, 1989). "Management: Corporate Chiefs Calling it Quits Earlier". The Wall Street Journal.
  11. ^ Gerlin, Andrea (March 25, 1993). "Collins Industries' Cartwright Quits; Goetsch Is Successor". The Wall Street Journal.
Business positions
Preceded by President of the American Motors Corporation
1978–1982 		Succeeded by
Preceded by CEO of the American Motors Corporation
1982–1984 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Chairman of the American Motors Corporation
1982–1985 		Succeeded by
Pierre Semerena
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