James Ford Bell
Encyclopedia
James Ford Bell was an American
business leader and philanthropist who served as president of General Mills
from 1928 to 1934 and chairman from 1934 to 1948.
Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
, he moved with his family to Minneapolis, Minnesota
. During World War I
he was appointed by the Food and Drug Administration
as chairman of the Milling Division. In 1918 he assisted Herbert Hoover
's European Hunger Relief Mission and was awarded the Belgian
Order of the Crown
and membership in the French Legion of Honor.
to consolidate many regional grain milling concerns. The James Ford Bell Foundation was established in 1955.
His collection of rare books devoted to the history of early modern trade comprises the basis for the James Ford Bell Library
at the University of Minnesota
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
business leader and philanthropist who served as president of General Mills
General Mills
General Mills, Inc. is an American Fortune 500 corporation, primarily concerned with food products, which is headquartered in Golden Valley, Minnesota, a suburb of Minneapolis. The company markets many well-known brands, such as Betty Crocker, Yoplait, Colombo, Totinos, Jeno's, Pillsbury, Green...
from 1928 to 1934 and chairman from 1934 to 1948.
Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, he moved with his family to Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
. During World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
he was appointed by the Food and Drug Administration
Food and Drug Administration
The Food and Drug Administration is an agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, one of the United States federal executive departments...
as chairman of the Milling Division. In 1918 he assisted Herbert Hoover
Herbert Hoover
Herbert Clark Hoover was the 31st President of the United States . Hoover was originally a professional mining engineer and author. As the United States Secretary of Commerce in the 1920s under Presidents Warren Harding and Calvin Coolidge, he promoted partnerships between government and business...
's European Hunger Relief Mission and was awarded the Belgian
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
Order of the Crown
Order of the Crown (Belgium)
The Order of the Crown is an Order of Belgium which was created on 15 October 1897 by King Leopold II in his capacity as ruler of the Congo Free State. The order was first intended to recognize heroic deeds and distinguished service achieved from service in the Congo Free State - many of which acts...
and membership in the French Legion of Honor.
General Mills
He founded General MillsGeneral Mills
General Mills, Inc. is an American Fortune 500 corporation, primarily concerned with food products, which is headquartered in Golden Valley, Minnesota, a suburb of Minneapolis. The company markets many well-known brands, such as Betty Crocker, Yoplait, Colombo, Totinos, Jeno's, Pillsbury, Green...
to consolidate many regional grain milling concerns. The James Ford Bell Foundation was established in 1955.
His collection of rare books devoted to the history of early modern trade comprises the basis for the James Ford Bell Library
James Ford Bell Library
The James Ford Bell Library is named for its donor and patron James Ford Bell, the founder of the General Mills Corporation in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The collection consists of some 30,000 rare books, maps, manuscripts, broadsides, pamphlets and other materials documenting the history and impact...
at the University of Minnesota
University of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities is a public research university located in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. It is the oldest and largest part of the University of Minnesota system and has the fourth-largest main campus student body in the United States, with 52,557...
.
External links
- James Ford Bell Foundation
- James Ford Bell's personal papers are available at the Minnesota Historical Society.