Charles F. Baird | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | (1922-09-04)September 4, 1922 |
| Died | December 26, 2009(2009-12-26) (aged 87) |
| Education | Middlebury College (AB '44) |
| Spouse | |
| Military career | |
| Branch | United States Marine Corps Reserve |
| Years of service | 1943–46, 1951–52 |
| Rank | Captain |
Charles Fitz Baird (September 4, 1922 – December 26, 2009) wasUnited StatesAssistant Secretary of the Navy (Financial Management and Comptroller) 1966–1967;Under Secretary of the Navy 1967–1969; andchief executive officer ofInco Ltd. 1977–1987.
Baird was born inSouthampton, New York, in 1922. He attendedMiddlebury College, graduating in 1944. Upon graduation, he joined theUnited States Marine Corps, serving as Lieutenant duringWorld War II and was recalled to theKorean War,[1] where he served as Captain.[2][3]
Upon leaving the Marine Corps, Baird joinedStandard Oil of New Jersey (SONJ),[4] rising through the ranks to become anexecutive with postings inNew York,London andParis.[2]
President of the United StatesLyndon B. Johnson nominated Baird asAssistant Secretary of the Navy (Financial Management and Comptroller) and he held that office from March 7, 1966, until August 1, 1967. At the time of his nomination he worked as Assistant Treasurer of the SONJ.[2] In 1967, President Johnson nominated Baird asUnder Secretary of the Navy and Baird held that post from August 1, 1967, until January 20, 1969.
Upon leaving government service in 1969, Baird joinedInco Ltd.,[4] working as an executive inNew York City andToronto. From 1977 to 1987, he was INCO's CEO. He oversaw at least two violent strikes inCopper Cliff, Inco's divestment in American battery manufacturersRay-O-Vac andExide and a nearly $500 million write down in the lateritic nickel mines ofGuatemala in 1981. This was Inco's first lost year in 50 years.[4]
Baird served on the board oftrustees ofBucknell University from 1976 to 1982, and in 1986, Bucknell gave Baird anhonorary degree. His alma mater, Middlebury College had similarly conferred an honorary degree on Baird in 1984. At various points, Baird served on theboard of directors ofAetna, theBank of Montreal, theLogistics Management Institute, and theMarine Corps University Foundation.
A longtime player ofplatform tennis, he won several Seniors championships, and was inducted into the Platform Tennis Hall of Fame in 1992.
Upon retiring from INCO, Baird settled inBethesda, Maryland. There, he was a member of theCenter for Naval Analyses, serving as board chairman from 1992 to 1997. He was also a member of theCouncil on Foreign Relations.
After a struggle withAlzheimer's disease, Baird died on December 26, 2009, at his home inSkillman, New Jersey.
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| Preceded by | Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Financial Management and Comptroller) December 18, 1967 – June 30, 1971 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Under Secretary of the Navy August 1, 1967 – January 20, 1969 | Succeeded by |
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