The People’s Corporation With Upton Sinclair
While King C. Gillette’s first book received publication before he became well-known as a company founder, his last novel did not. In 1924, Gillette co-wrote a book, The People’s Corporation, with Upton Sinclair. Author of nearly 100 books, Sinclair’s most famous book is called The Jungle, written in 1904. This book discussed the horrible details of the meat industry and the lives of immigrants. The book caused so much controversy that it led to the passing of the Meat Inspection Act and Pure Food and Drug Act in 1906.
When Gillette failed at his mission to get Theodore Roosevelt to sign on as president for “The World Corporation” company, he turned to other ways to make his vision a reality. This was when Gillette started contact with Sinclair, another socialist reformer. Sinclair took an interest to Gillette and set up a meeting with Gillette, himself, and Henry Ford. Unfortunately, this meeting did not go well as, by the end, Gillette and Ford started yelling at each other.
Nonetheless, Gillette and Sinclair continued to converse and eventually, Sinclair agreed to partner with Gillette for his next book about creating a Utopian society. The People’s Corporation, which originally showed Gillette as the author because Sinclair was a silent partner, went off Gillette’s first book, The Human Drift. While not much is known about The People’s Corporation online, it is available at several libraries, Amazon, and other locations. The book discusses how both the rich and the poor in the world hold great responsibility, and neither one is better than the other.
The Influence Of The People’s Corporation
Instead, the two sides can use their wealth and skills to help the other. Gillette and Sinclair state how both the rich and the poor can essentially come together by rising above their status as both levels have their sacrifices, and no one is better than the other. This book would go on to inspire American politician and businessman, Glen Hearst Taylor. In 1945, Taylor would run for office to become a United States Senator for Idaho.
After reading The People’s Corporation, Taylor decided to run for office. On top of this, he worked to establish his own political party, known as the Farm-Laborer Party in Montana and Nevada. However, Taylor’s attempts failed in 1935, so he turned his political ambitions elsewhere. Today, Gillette still holds influence in people’s lives. Not only do they continue to use his razors, but people also consider Gillette to be an innovator of marketing ideas. Today, the safety razor company is under Procter & Gamble.
Where did we find this stuff? Here are our sources:
“King Camp Gillette Facts.” Your Dictionary.
“King C. Gillette.” Wikipedia.
“An imaginary city that changed the twentieth century.” Annalee Newitz, Gizmodo. July 2010.
“World Corporation by King Camp Gillette” Goodreads.
“No. 738: KING CAMP GILLETTE.” John H. Lienhard, Engines of Our Ingenuity.
King Camp Gillette: American Manufacture.” Encyclopedia Britannica. January 2019.