Louis LaMotte
Louis Howell LaMotte Jr. | |
|---|---|
| Born | Template:Birth date Westminster, Maryland, U.S. |
| Died | 1984 |
| Occupation | IBM executive |
| Years active | 1922–1973 |
| Known for | High-ranking IBM executive; led computer development task force in 1950s; one of IBM's 50 Builders |
Louis Howell LaMotte Jr. (1896–1984), often called "Red," was a high-ranking IBM executive whose career spanned 39 years. In the 1950s, he directed a pivotal task force responsible for IBM's creation of computers tailored for both U.S. government and commercial data processing sectors. Upon his retirement in 1973, Thomas Watson Jr. commended LaMotte as an indispensable colleague renowned for his leadership and ability to foster team spirit. IBM honors him as one of its 50 Builders, recognizing his significant contributions to expanding the company’s reach and corporate identity.
Early life and education
LaMotte was born in Westminster, Maryland, on March 29, 1896. He completed his secondary education at Morristown School in New Jersey. During World War I, he served as an ambulance driver before enrolling at Harvard University from 1918 to 1919, where he engaged in business-related activities, editorial work, and various student organizations.
IBM career
Starting with IBM in 1922 when it was known as the Computing-Tabulating-Recording Company, LaMotte began as a systems serviceman based in New York. He progressed through positions in sales and management, becoming vice president of The Tabulating Machine Company division by 1931 and then general manager of the Electric Accounting Machine Division in 1933. In 1937, he took charge as manager of IBM’s Washington office.
During the 1930s, LaMotte was instrumental in securing a significant long-term contract with the Social Security Administration. This deal led IBM to innovate specialized punched card machinery designed to handle extensive data processing demands.
He was elevated to vice president at IBM in 1943 and by 1952 held the position of vice president responsible for sales. His career advanced further when he became executive vice president overseeing both sales and engineering in 1954 and then general manager of the Data Processing Division two years later. Subsequent roles included executive vice president and special assistant to the president, chairmanship of both the executive and finance committees, as well as leading the executive compensation committee after retirement. LaMotte served on IBM’s board from 1952 until 1971 and joined its Advisory Board in 1972.
In the computer development initiative of the 1950s led by Thomas Watson Jr., LaMotte managed the task force charged with creating cutting-edge computers aimed at competing with companies such as Remington Rand. His responsibilities included coordinating sales efforts and establishing pricing frameworks alongside other senior leaders.
Additionally, LaMotte represented IBM at the Office Equipment Manufacturers Institute—now known as the Information Technology Industry Council—and served as its president in 1958.
Guidance to Thomas Watson Jr.
Thomas Watson Jr. considered LaMotte a trusted collaborator. Emerson Pugh’s Building IBM: Shaping an Industry and Its Technology highlights that "Tom Watson found another natural ally in Louis LaMotte, a senior sales executive who had never been cowed by the elder Watson's imperious manner." Alongside McDowell and Williams, LaMotte was a foundational member of Watson Jr.'s leadership team starting in 1950.
In his memoir Father, Son, & Co: My Life at IBM and Beyond, Watson Jr. characterized LaMotte as someone who "knew everybody at IBM" and possessed a "humane and balanced view of character" that was invaluable to him. At the retirement celebration held in 1973, Watson Jr. praised LaMotte’s leadership of the Washington office through a committed team and noted his exceptional approachability and popularity. He credited LaMotte with teaching him important lessons about building morale and making business life more enjoyable.
Connection with Thomas Watson Sr.
LaMotte was selected as one of 42 honorary pallbearers during the 1956 memorial service honoring Thomas Watson Sr.. According to Watson Jr., LaMotte’s bond with his father was distinctive: both shared a refined social environment, stemming from privileged backgrounds and enjoying similar pastimes such as fox hunting, attending the opera, and belonging to exclusive clubs. Despite initial tensions, they eventually reconciled, agreeing that LaMotte would oversee the Washington office—this arrangement allowed them to maintain a respectful distance while preserving mutual regard.
IBM Fellowship Song
Included in the 1935 edition of Fellowship Songs of International Business Machines Corporation is a tribute titled "To L. H. LaMotte, General Manager, T. M. Division," which is sung to the melody of "My Gal Sal." This composition was also featured as song number 42 in IBM’s 1937 songbook. During this period, LaMotte served as the head of the Tabulating Machines Division.
Hilton Head Hospital
Louis LaMotte and his wife Lois (Gubelman) played a vital role in backing their son Peter’s establishment of Hilton Head Hospital on Hilton Head Island, acting as the institution’s principal financial supporters throughout the 1970s. The hospital’s LaMotte Building is named to recognize their contributions.
Peter LaMotte held positions as chief of trauma surgery and orthopedic surgery at Roosevelt Hospital in Manhattan and served as the team physician for the New York Mets from their inaugural season in 1962 until 1974.