Old Age Serene and Bright?

The subject of this issue's cover story, NCR, is 113 years old, which might be regarded as venerable for a U.S. company. Of course, some firms are older—Eleuthére Irénée du Pont de Nemours set up shop to produce black powder in 1802, and William Procter and James Gamble established their partnership in 1837. But only shortly before John H. Patterson founded the National Cash Register Company in 1884, did General Electric (1876), and Exxon (as Standard Oil of New Jersey in 1882) come into being. And just two years later, in May 1886, Dr. John S. Pemberton sold the first sip of Coca‐Cola in Atlanta.