Charles Gilbert Du Bois

Charles Gilbert Du Bois (March 22, 1870 – December 23, 1940), also written as Charles G. DuBois, was an American accountant and business executive. He was president of the Western Electric Company from July 1919 until August 1926 and served concurrently as chairman of its board beginning in 1921. Earlier in his career, he was comptroller of the American Telephone and Telegraph Company (AT&T), where he helped develop an accounting system used throughout the Bell System. During the First World War, he served as comptroller of the American Red Cross and advised the War Department.

Early life and education

Du Bois was born in New York City on March 22, 1870, the son of William H. Du Bois and Anne Eliza Gilbert Du Bois. His family moved to Randolph, Vermont, while he was young, and he attended the town's public schools and graduated from Randolph High School.

He attended Dartmouth College, where he was elected to Phi Beta Kappa and belonged to Delta Kappa Epsilon and the Sphinx senior society. He played on his class baseball team and managed the varsity baseball team during his senior year. Du Bois graduated in 1891.

In 1907, AT&T president Theodore Newton Vail recruited Du Bois to become comptroller of AT&T. Business historian Paul J. Miranti has described Du Bois as one of the officials Vail used to strengthen centralized financial control and reduce differences in financial information among the Bell operating companies. Du Bois subsequently developed accounting procedures that were adopted throughout the Bell System.

First World War service

In 1917, Du Bois took leave from AT&T to volunteer at the national headquarters of the American Red Cross in Washington, D.C. He served as the organization's comptroller and later as a member of the chairman's advisory committee.

Du Bois was also a member of the housing committee appointed by the Council of National Defense in 1917. In 1918, he served on an advisory committee to the War Department's director of finance.

President of Western Electric

Du Bois returned to Western Electric in 1918 as a director and vice president responsible for administrative work. On July 1, 1919, its board elected him president, succeeding Harry Bates Thayer, who resigned to become president of AT&T. Du Bois became chairman of Western Electric's board in 1921 while continuing as president.

Western Electric also separated its general electrical-supply business from its telephone-equipment operations. The supply business was incorporated as the Graybar Electric Company in December 1925. Du Bois became chairman of Graybar's board, while Albert L. Salt became president.

Western Electric's work in sound reproduction also expanded during Du Bois's presidency. The company and Warner Bros. formed the Vitaphone Corporation in 1925 to commercialize the Vitaphone synchronized sound system. The first paid public presentation of a complete Vitaphone program took place on August 6, 1926, with the premiere of Don Juan and a program of recorded musical performances.

In August 1926, Edgar S. Bloom, previously a vice president of AT&T, succeeded Du Bois as Western Electric's president. Du Bois remained chairman of the board until his retirement from Western Electric in 1927.

Dartmouth and other activities

Du Bois remained active in Dartmouth alumni affairs. He served as president of the Dartmouth Alumni Association and was reelected to that position in 1920.

In 1922, he gave Dartmouth a long-range radio receiver equipped with amplifiers and other experimental devices. The college reported that Du Bois intended the gift to encourage undergraduate interest in radio technology.

He served as a trustee of Dartmouth College from 1923 until 1933. His committee assignments included the executive committee, committee on degrees and committee on investments; he chaired the investment committee during the final two years of his service.

Du Bois was also a director of the French-American Banking Corporation in the early 1920s. Following his retirement, he spent substantial periods in Randolph, where he operated and improved the Sanford family farm.