Ethyl : A History of the Corporation and the People Who Made It

Charlottesville, Virginia: University Press of Virginia, 1983. A few brown speckles (foxing) else Very Good condition in Very Good Dust Jacket. No remainder marks. No underlining. No highlighting. No margin notes. Over 50 illustrations. This copy is a signed, presentation copy from philanthropist and investment innovator, James F. Miller. This is also an association copy since it was Miller who became a legend in the investment business by orchestrating the acquisition of the Ethyl Corp., in one of the first leveraged buyouts in American history. In 1924, he arranged for Albermarle Paper Manufacturing Co. to buy the Ethyl Corp., which was then jointly owned by General Motors Corp. and the Standard Oil Company. This maneuver was aptly described by journalists as "Jonah swallowing the whale," because Albermarle was buying a company more than 13 times its own size. Miller went on to become president of Blyth & Co., Inc. in 1955 (later Blyth Eastman Paine Webber). He was a key figure in many forest products industry acquisitions and served on the board of directors for Ethyl Corp, as well as for Georgia Pacific, Maine Central Railroad, Louisiana Pacific Corp. and Fiberboard Corp.. INSCRIBED / SIGNED by James F. Miller. First Printing of the First Edition. Hard Cover. Blue spine / cream cloth/Jacket not priced or clipped. 8vo. xv, 448pp..