Mr. Kaiser Goes to Washington: The Rise of a Government Entrepreneur (Luther Hartwell Hodges Series on Business, Society, and the State) [Hardcover]

Stephen B. Adams (Author)

Book Description

Series: Luther Hartwell Hodges Series on Business, Society, and the State | Publication Date: October 15, 1997

In the 1940s, the name Henry J. Kaiser was magic. Based on the success of his shipyards, Kaiser was hailed by the national media as the force behind a 'can-do' production miracle and credited by the American public with doing more to help President Roosevelt win World War II than any other civilian. Kaiser also built an empire in construction, cement, magnesium, steel, and aluminum—all based on government contracts, government loans, and changes in government regulations.

In this book, Stephen Adams offers Kaiser's story as the first detailed case study of 'government entrepreneurship.' Taking a fresh look at the birth of modern business-government relations, he explores the symbiotic connection forged between FDR and Kaiser. Adams shows that while Kaiser capitalized on opportunities provided by the growth of the federal government, FDR found in Kaiser an industrial partner whose enterprises embodied New Deal goals. The result of a confluence of administration policy and entrepreneurial zeal, Kaiser's dramatic rise illustrates the important role of governmental relations in American entrepreneurial success.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

In an expansion of his doctoral dissertation, Adams focuses on the relationship between the government and Henry Kaiser, noted shipbuilder during World War II. The government, wishing to open markets and increase production during the Great Depression, looked for businessmen willing to enter fields that needed large capital investments. Adams argues that Kaiser took advantage of the situation to become a government entrepreneur during the period. Kaiser would send proposals to key government people and secure loans and grants for entering those fields the government was interested in. This book discloses the fine line Kaiser walked to gain government support while maintaining the myth of the "self-made man." It would best serve as a text for academic collections exploring government and business relations. Recommended.?Patricia Hatch, Inst. for Bus. & Home Safety, Boston
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

[Adams] approaches Kaiser from a fresh angle.

Technology & Culture

Adams has written an important book. He probed in depth issues that others, myself included, passed over lightly.

Journal of American History

[T]his fascinating book provides an excellent introduction to government-business relations [duing this period].

Choice

Adams's study is an exceptionally valuable addition to the history of American business and of the New Deal.

Diana Davids Olien, University of Texas of the Permian Basin

Adams does an excellent job of recounting the history of Kaiser's economic rise.

Naomi R. Lamoreaux, University of California, Los Angeles

Product Details

• Hardcover: 267 pages
• Publisher: The University of North Carolina Press (October 15, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0807823589
• ISBN-13: 978-0807823583
• Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 6.4 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,284,917 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fabulous Henry Kaiser or Kaiser Henry the Sordid., August 23, 2005

By 

Richard D. Smith, MD (Walnut Creek, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Mr. Kaiser Goes to Washington: The Rise of a Government Entrepreneur (Luther Hartwell Hodges Series on Business, Society, and the State) (Hardcover)

Mr. Adams remarkable book exposes H. Kaiser as a sociopath, war profiteer, and con-man. Reading his treatment of workers at Boulder Dam in the early 1930s where 110 people died, cases of carbon monixide poisoning and heat exhaustion written off as 'non-industrial' by (guess who)Sidney Garfield, the project's medical director. kaiser lost 100 claims by workers, settled out of court, that shook kaiser awake that he is not above decency and morality, that the 'rules' actually applied to him in the only way he could understand: monetarily. Out of this sordid, disgusting begining came Kaiser 'Permanente', and its step-child managed care.

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars War, for fun and profit, September 12, 2009

By 

C. Hintz "Om Gate" (California) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Mr. Kaiser Goes to Washington: The Rise of a Government Entrepreneur (Luther Hartwell Hodges Series on Business, Society, and the State) (Hardcover)

Mr. Kaiser was the quintessential war contractor. His motto: "Find a need and fill it" was modified to 'bomb a hole and fill it.' This book is a must read for students of history, civics, and political corruption. The "Liberty Ships" made of concrete are well known for the distances that the could - and did travel. Sometimes it wasn't all THAT far. But once built and provisioned, the corporate liability was transferred to the public commons while the assets were privatized - much like today.