Moving Metal

had joined the Board. By coincidence, he and Bill Rumer were old schoolmates at the California Institute of Technology and whenever they got together in the Reliance conference room their joviality tended to color important discussions. The meetings typically began after work at six o’clock and went on until after eight or nine o’clock. Rumer remembered that Gimbel never controlled them. “He would just toss a subject

But the news in 1964 was not all good. Senior Vice Presi- dent and Chairman of the Board Jack Roe died unexpectedly on January 29, and Reliance was shaken. At the regular Board Meeting on February 20, 1964, Gimbel and the Directors dis- cussed the tragedy at length and issued a formal resolution expressing their deep sorrow at his death. “The Board of Direc- tors of this Corporation,” the resolution read, “hereby gives formal expression of its grievous loss in the death of CHAS. J. ROE, and does hereby note in its records the passing from this life of a man who was highly esteemed by his associates, loved by his friends, and respected by all.” Gimbel ordered the reso- lution hand-drawn and leather-bound, and presented it to Mrs. Roe along with a gift of $5,000. He also made arrangements to continue paying her a portion of her husband’s salary for a time. Gimbel took over as Chairman and nominated Bob Henigson to fill the vacancy on the Board of Directors. The Board elected the attorney unanimously. Henigson was fresh from successfully defending Reliance in the Moore lit- igation when Gimbel called him, soon after Roe’s funeral. “He asked me if I’d like to join, and I said I would,” remem- bered Henigson. “It was okay with my firm and so I became a member of the Reliance Board of Directors for the next forty-one years.” Reliance now had a much stronger top man- agement structure. The five plants were likewise in capable hands, with Hank Thomas in charge of the Vernon complex, Lyle Imler running Phoenix, John H. “Johnny” Norris respon- sible for San Diego, James L. Murphy supervising Santa Clara, and George B. Morgan overseeing Fresno. Meanwhile, Directors Gimbel, Littell, Rumer, Henigson, and Troster oversaw the entire operation on behalf of the com- pany’s shareholders during their regular monthly meetings. These meetings had become more boisterous since Henigson

Bill Gimbel ran the Board of Directors with a light touch. He is pictured here in 1967.

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