1882-1967
Industrialist

Political Connections.

Henry Kaiser was one of the industrialists who most benefited from America's mobilization for World War II. He headed the Liberty Ship program, which incorporated techniques of prefabrication and mass production to speed ship production. During the war his companies also built roads, boats, and shelters for the government, but primarily they built ships. His contacts allowed him access to the government officials who oversaw the allocation of resources, particularly steel, and they also provided him with access to the officials who supervised labor contracts and the allocation of materials.

Propagandist.

Kaiser's production techniques fit in with President Franklin D. Roosevelt's belief that speed and energy were more important than efficiency in producing quality war goods. Kaiser was originally from the West, where he had developed a reputation for taking risks, for getting things done, and for receiving generous government contracts. His...