Chairman of the Board: A Biography of Carl A. Gerstacker by E. N. Brandt

Abstract

134 Michigan Historical Rxview Perhaps the best part of the book, and the part that will attract the most readers, covers the period from 1975 to 2005. This is the era that Botti and Moore know best, so their recall of people and events is both personal and provocative. Like all histories, "facts" are subject to interpretations that vary with the point of view of the narrator. I can easily imagine that others may view the actions and events recounted in this work from a different perspective, but this is part of the fascination that we all have with histories (and why one history never suffices). The history that Botti and Moore deta? inMichigan's State Forests is highly focused, especially for more recent years, and this is both a strength and a weakness. The authors know their subject matter and do not deviate from it. However, at times, some readers may wish for just a few more connections to the people and events that indirecdy shaped public policy and Michigan's landscapes outside these state lands. To their credit, Botti and Moore stay "on task" and provide a concise history of only the state-owned lands. The authors have provided an excellent introduction into the workings of an important part of Michigan's state government, but the task of connecting this important effort to the larger body of people and events that shaped Michigan's lands and culture during the twentieth century remains to be accomplished. Raymond P. Gur?es University ofWisconsin-Madison E. N. Brandt. Chairman of theBoard:A Biography ofCarl A. Gerstacker. East Lansing: Michigan State University Press, 2003. Pp. 238. Appendix. Bibliography. Illustrations. Index. Notes. Cloth, $39.95. I first encountered the name Carl Gerstacker several years before his death in 1995, when I was a new member of the Midland, Michigan, community. Iwas unaware of his history, but thankfully his place in our society as a corporate giant, ph?anthropist, and down-to earth human being is related in Ned Brandt's book, Chairman of the Board: A Biography ofCarl A. Gerstacker. It is amasterful work. Calling on knowledge gleaned from his thirty-five-year relationship with Gerstacker as a speechwriter and a close friend, as well as primary Book Reviews 135 sources including extensive oral histories, Brandt weaves a fascinating story of corporate life. Carl Gerstacker was born in 1916 in Cleveland, Ohio, and began his association with the Dow Chemical Company as a teenage investor in Dow stock. He worked for the company part-time as a lab assistant while simultaneously securing an engineering degree from the University of Michigan in 1938, taking advantage of Dow's student-training course. Then he worked full time for the firm until World War II began, when he joined the army. Rejoining the company in 1946, Gerstacker moved quickly up the corporate ladder, becoming treasurer in 1949, vice president in 1955, and the chairman of the board in 1960. He retained that position until 1976 when he became the company's elder statesman and then retired in 1981. Gerstacker's great interest in people and involvement with a variety of groups drew him into active ph?anthropy. His insight and generosity were legendary. Much of his giving was channeled through the Gerstacker Foundation, which was named for his father Rollin, although he was generous on a personal level aswell. Gerstacker's broad involvement in the growth of the Dow Chemical Company and his support for the community produced many admirers who might have written about his life. But Brandt's writing style makes readers feel as if they were sitting beside him and listening to a story. The pages fly by, and by the end the author has related a personal tale about his friend and mentor's corporate and community lives. Brandt's insight into Gerstacker's private side goes well beyond what a less-personally-engaged biographer could muster. However, although Brandt has been vice president of the Gerstacker Foundation, he does not pull any punches. Despite his obvious admiration for the man Carl Gerstacker, Brandt reports on his foibles and idiosyncrasies, as well as his triumphs. Brandt is able to communicate Gerstacker's...