Robert James Eaton
Encyclopedia
For the professional wrestler, Robert Lee "Bobby" Eaton, see Bobby Eaton
.
Robert James "Bob" Eaton (born February, 1940) is a U.S.
automobile
businessman.
Eaton was born in Buena Vista
, Colorado
and grew up in Arkansas City
, Kansas
. He graduated with a B.S.
degree in mechanical engineering
from the University of Kansas
in 1963. He was in the Kappa Sigma Fraternity. Upon graduation he joined General Motors and in 1973 he was made chief engineer of GM's new front wheel drive X-body cars. In 1982 he was promoted to vice-president advanced engineering before being named president of GM Europe in 1988. It was here that legendary Chrysler CEO Lee Iacocca
found Eaton and hired him to be his successor as CEO of Chrysler. This caused quite a controversy because Bob Lutz was the expected heir to the CEO position, and Iacocca later indicated that he indeed felt that Lutz would have been the better choice as his successor.
He was the Chairman and CEO
of Chrysler Corporation from 1993 until 1998. In that position, he was responsible for the sale of Chrysler Corporation to Daimler-Benz which formed DaimlerChrysler
He was a chairman of the National Academy of Engineering
. He was elected a director of Chevron
in September 2000. He has been on the board of International Paper
. He is a trustee of the University of Kansas
Endowment Association. , he lives in Naples, Florida
, with his wife, Connie.
Bobby Eaton
Robert Lee "Bobby" Eaton is an American semi-retired professional wrestler, who made his debut in 1976. Eaton is most famous for his work in tag teams, especially his days as one-half of the team the Midnight Express. Under the management of Jim Cornette, Eaton originally teamed with Dennis...
.
Robert James "Bob" Eaton (born February, 1940) is a U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
automobile
Automobile
An automobile, autocar, motor car or car is a wheeled motor vehicle used for transporting passengers, which also carries its own engine or motor...
businessman.
Eaton was born in Buena Vista
Buena Vista, Colorado
Buena Vista is a Statutory Town in Chaffee County, Colorado, United States. The population was 2,195 at the 2000 census.Buena Vista is located in central Colorado roughly midway between Salida and Leadville in the Upper Arkansas River Valley at an elevation of . The area between Buena Vista and...
, Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
and grew up in Arkansas City
Arkansas City, Kansas
Arkansas City is a city situated at the confluence of the Arkansas and Walnut rivers in the southwestern part of Cowley County, located in south-central Kansas, in the central United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 12,415....
, Kansas
Kansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
. He graduated with a B.S.
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
degree in mechanical engineering
Mechanical engineering
Mechanical engineering is a discipline of engineering that applies the principles of physics and materials science for analysis, design, manufacturing, and maintenance of mechanical systems. It is the branch of engineering that involves the production and usage of heat and mechanical power for the...
from the University of Kansas
University of Kansas
The University of Kansas is a public research university and the largest university in the state of Kansas. KU campuses are located in Lawrence, Wichita, Overland Park, and Kansas City, Kansas with the main campus being located in Lawrence on Mount Oread, the highest point in Lawrence. The...
in 1963. He was in the Kappa Sigma Fraternity. Upon graduation he joined General Motors and in 1973 he was made chief engineer of GM's new front wheel drive X-body cars. In 1982 he was promoted to vice-president advanced engineering before being named president of GM Europe in 1988. It was here that legendary Chrysler CEO Lee Iacocca
Lee Iacocca
Lido Anthony "Lee" Iacocca is an American businessman known for engineering the Mustang, the unsuccessful Ford Pinto, being fired from Ford Motor Company, and his revival of the Chrysler Corporation in the 1980s...
found Eaton and hired him to be his successor as CEO of Chrysler. This caused quite a controversy because Bob Lutz was the expected heir to the CEO position, and Iacocca later indicated that he indeed felt that Lutz would have been the better choice as his successor.
He was the Chairman and CEO
Chief executive officer
A chief executive officer , managing director , Executive Director for non-profit organizations, or chief executive is the highest-ranking corporate officer or administrator in charge of total management of an organization...
of Chrysler Corporation from 1993 until 1998. In that position, he was responsible for the sale of Chrysler Corporation to Daimler-Benz which formed DaimlerChrysler
He was a chairman of the National Academy of Engineering
National Academy of Engineering
The National Academy of Engineering is a government-created non-profit institution in the United States, that was founded in 1964 under the same congressional act that led to the founding of the National Academy of Sciences...
. He was elected a director of Chevron
Chevron Corporation
Chevron Corporation is an American multinational energy corporation headquartered in San Ramon, California, United States and active in more than 180 countries. It is engaged in every aspect of the oil, gas, and geothermal energy industries, including exploration and production; refining,...
in September 2000. He has been on the board of International Paper
International Paper
International Paper Company is an American pulp and paper company, the largest such company in the world. It has approximately 59,500 employees, and it is headquartered in Memphis, Tennessee.-History:...
. He is a trustee of the University of Kansas
University of Kansas
The University of Kansas is a public research university and the largest university in the state of Kansas. KU campuses are located in Lawrence, Wichita, Overland Park, and Kansas City, Kansas with the main campus being located in Lawrence on Mount Oread, the highest point in Lawrence. The...
Endowment Association. , he lives in Naples, Florida
Naples, Florida
Naples is a city in Collier County, Florida, United States. As of July 1, 2007, the U.S. Census Bureau estimated the city's population at 21,653. Naples is a principal city of the Naples–Marco Island Metropolitan Statistical Area, which had an estimated total population of 315,839 on July 1, 2007...
, with his wife, Connie.
Awards
- 1994 Distinguished Service Citation from the University of KansasUniversity of KansasThe University of Kansas is a public research university and the largest university in the state of Kansas. KU campuses are located in Lawrence, Wichita, Overland Park, and Kansas City, Kansas with the main campus being located in Lawrence on Mount Oread, the highest point in Lawrence. The...
Alumni Association. - 1994 Man of the Year from the Kappa Sigma Fraternity.
- 1995 Distinguished Engineering Service Award from the University of Kansas School of Engineering.
- 2005 Inducted into the Kansas Business Hall of Fame.
External links
- http://www.allpar.com/ed/2006/purge.html Bob Eaton’s Reign of Terror: Life From Eaton to Zetsche
- "Engineering building christened Eaton Hall"
- Chevron Biography
- Kansas Business Hall of Fame Profile