Procter, William C.

Procter, William C. (Cooper)

(1862–1934) manufacturer; born in Glendale, Ohio. He lived in Cincinnati his entire life and joined the family soap-making firm founded by his father, William Alexander. Introduced in 1879, Ivory Soap became the most famous product with the advertising slogan "It floats" and "99 44/100 per cent pure." In 1890 the firm Procter & Gamble incorporated with William C. as general manager and the company boomed. (It was William C.'s brother Harley Procter, however, who is credited with devising the advertising and marketing campaigns that would make Ivory Soap the leader in its field.) By 1934 it counted seven factories, including locations in England and Canada. William C., who became president in 1907, instituted many labor reforms, such as half holidays on Saturdays (1887), profit sharing, and pensions. In 1923 the company guaranteed 48 hours of work a week to all employees. Active in Cincinnati civic affairs, his main philanthropies were hospitals and schools, especially Children's Hospital.