William Thomas Piper Jr. (September 8, 1911 – August 24, 2007) was an American businessman and president of the Piper Aircraft Corporation from 1968 to 1973.[1] He oversaw the company through its sale to Bangor Punta Corporation in 1969, and after his father's death in 1970, who was the first and founding president of the manufacturer.[2][3]
William T. Piper Jr. | |
|---|---|
| Born | William Thomas Piper Jr. September 8, 1911 Sharpsburg, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Died | August 23, 2007 (aged 95) Danville, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Known for | Second president of Piper Aircraft |
| Spouse | Elizabeth Piper |
| Parent | William T. Piper (father) |
Piper Jr. was born in 1911 to William T. Piper Sr. and Marie Theresa Piper (née Van DeWater). As a young boy Piper Jr. was very interested in business; he created his own shoe-cleaning service in Lock Haven when he was just 7. He often went to work with his father and was fascinated by airplanes as well.[4] As young men, Piper Jr. and his two brothers Howard and Thomas worked at the Piper factory and learned how to fly.
Piper Jr. attended Harvard University just like his father and upon graduation was put in charge of the sales department. He ran an aggressive marketing campaign in the Western United States where Piper Cub sales had struggled in years past. On a business trip to Los Angeles Piper Jr. became lifelong friends with James Bacon.[5][6]
Upon his father's death, Piper Jr. was voted as President by the Piper Aircraft Board of Advisors and remained in that position until 1973. After the company was sold to Bangor Punta in 1969, an eight-year court battle with the losing bidder, Chris-Craft Industries, culminated in a US Supreme Court decision in 1977.[7] Piper Aircraft would later move to where it is located today, at Vero Beach, Florida.[8] Piper Jr. remained living in his home in Lock Haven, Pennsylvania and Marco Island, Florida.
On August 20, 2007, Piper Jr. fell on one step going out to the deck at his summer home in Lock Haven. He was taken to the local hospital then transferred to Geisinger Medical Center in Danville Pa. He had surgery on his hip the following day. On August 24, W. T. Piper Jr. died unexpectedly in his hospital bed.[9] An autopsy was not conducted.[10]
See also
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References
edit- ^ "Piper Aircraft, quick history".
- ^ "Bill Piper and the Piper Cubs". HistoryNet. June 12, 2006. Retrieved February 11, 2019.
- ^ "William T. Piper Jr. September 8, 1911 – August 24, 2007 William T. Piper Jr., scion of the aircraft family that made the Piper Cub world famous, died Aug". February 11, 2019.
- ^ Home, Yost-Gedon Funeral. "William (Bill) Piper Obituary – Yost – Gedon Funeral Home & Cremation Services LLC". www.yost-gedonfuneralhome.com. Retrieved February 11, 2019.
- ^ "Industry Mourns Passing of General Aviation Pioneer, William T. Piper, Jr. – GAMA". gama.aero. Retrieved February 11, 2019.
- ^ "StackPath". www.pipermuseum.com. Retrieved February 12, 2019.
- ^ Justia (December 1977). "Piper V. Chris-Craft Industries, Inc., 430 U. S. 1 (1977)".
- ^ James, Erwin (February 12, 2019). "William T Piper Jr former president of Piper and who oversaw its purchase passes away".
- ^ Sep 3; Aviation, 2007 Staff | The Weekly Of Business. "FORMER PIPER AIRCRAFT CHAIRMAN WILLIAM T. PIPER, JR. DIES". aviationweek.com. Retrieved February 11, 2019.
{{cite web}}:|first2=has generic name (help)CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ ganews (September 7, 2007). "William T. Piper Jr. dies at 95 two weeks before his 96th birthday". General Aviation News. Retrieved February 11, 2019.