Milford chronicle., 1938-05-27

The career of r. f. Wood. president
of Sears. ROebuck and Company is dis
tinguished by the execution of big jobs,
both in the United States Army and in
the business and industrial world. A
product of the middle west and a grad
uate OF the United States Military
Academy at West Point. his training
had combined eXactncss with thorough
I ness and his business life has been
packed with activity.
Merchandising on a large scale, the
obtaining Of supplies for millions ot
| people, has been a part Of the expert
ence OF General Wood and when he was
connected with the army. he rose rap
idly from one hig job To another.
General Wood was horn in Kansas
City. Mo. June i3. 1879. He entered
West Point Military Academy and was
y graduated from there June l5. 1890 be
then served as lieutenant and was as
| signed to Fort Assinih0ine. Mont. from
! 1902 10 1909.
/ He was sent 10 West Point as in
| structor and served there from August.
| 1903. to March. 1905
In 1906. he was assigned 10 the canal
service with John p Wallace. first chief
engineer. employed 10y the Isthusian
canal commission during the c0nstr1c-
ti0n Of The canal. from March. 1905 un
ill May. 1915. General wood served as
superintendent assistant chief quarter
tldNNFts flllFi nl Tue NNAillilE hfHdlA7
nient He was also in charge Of recruit
ing. housing aud distribution Of ail sup
plit, for the Panama canal and the
Panama railroad lie WAS In charge OF
all building construction In lSl5 aud
was with the Panama railroad 3nd
steamship line IN 1919. in charge OF the
Pacific terminal and docks. tie was di-
rector OF the Panama railroad and
steamship line in 1913 and 1914 and was
chairman of the board TO pass ON all
railroad construction In the Republic OF
Panama.
In May. 1915. General Wood resigned
from the canal service to become assist
ant TO the vice president OF f. I. du-
pont de Nemours Company and was
there until October. 1915
He became assistant to the president
of the General Asphalt Company in DC
tober 1915. and remained there unth
May, 1917, i'm charge OF production,
mines. manufacturing plants reflner
les and railroads in the United states.
Trinidad and Venezuela.
After the war had been declared i'm
1917, General Wood re-entered the gov
ernment service with the rank OF major
and became general purchasing oHlceT
of the Emergency Fleet Corporation. He
organized the purchasing department OF
the Emergency Fleet.
General Wood sailed for France with
the 42nd division as n colonel OF lnian-
Try and was assigned 10 the seh"fai
stan i'm charge of transportation upon
his arrival I'm France Later. he was as
signed as assistant to General Alter
bury. as director Of the army transport
service. i'm charge of all ports. water
terminals and shipping In France anu
He was awarded a distinguished ser~ |
vice medal in January. 1919. by the
United States government and was also
awarded the G NJ. q. by the BRUSH !
i'm the same year !
General Wood then resigned from the /,
army and returned to civil life IN (
March, 1919. In May. 1920. he became
vice president Of large merchandising
concern. He left there in 1924 to be.
come vice president in charge OF all
retail store and factory operations OF
Sears. Roebuck and Company.
On January 12. 1928. following the
death of President c. NJ. kittie, Gen-
eral Wood was elected to the presiden-
~ Of the company.