Ralph Owen (1905–1983) was an American businessman. He served as the Chairman of American Express ().
Early life Owen was born on October 3, 1905, in Hartsville, Tennessee.Ralph Owen, 78, Dies; Led American Express, The New York Times, November 7, 1983 He had two brothers, Robert E. Owen and Roy Owen, and two sisters, Mrs. Mark Lowrey and Mrs. Pat W. Swaney. He graduated from Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee, in 1928.
Career In 1930, Owen founded the Equitable Securities Corporation of Nashville, an investment bank offering credit cards, travel and banking services. It merged with American Express in 1968. Later, he served as the Chairman of American Express.Peter Z. Grossman, American Express: The People Who Built the Great Financial Empire, Beard Books, 1987, p. 371
Additionally, Owen served on the board of directors of the Nashville Gas Company, the R. C. Owen Company and Tennessee Natural Gas Lines Inc.
Philanthropy Owen sat on the Board of Trustees of his alma mater, Vanderbilt University, and later as the President of its Board of Trust.G. Alexander Heard, Speaking of the University: Two Decades at Vanderbilt, Nashville, Tennessee: Vanderbilt University Press, 1995, p. xiii The Owen Graduate School of Management was renamed in his honor in 1977.Vanderbilt University: Owen Graduate School of Management Additionally, the Ralph Owen Chair is also named in his honor; it is currently by Professor Eric Johnson, Dean of the Owen Graduate School of Management.Owen Graduate School of Management: Endowed Chairs
Personal life Owen was married to Lulu Hampton. They had a son, Ralph Owen Jr., and a daughter, Melinda Bass. They resided at Brook Hill in Nashville, Tennessee.Nashville: a short history and selected buildings, Historical Commission of Metropolitan Nashville-Davidson County, 1974, p. 191
Death Owen died at the Vanderbilt University Hospital in 1983.
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