Royal Little
Founder of Textron.
Royal Little founded Textron in 1923, an aerospace and defense conglomerate. Born March 1, 1896 in Wakefield, MA; died January 10, 1989 in Nassau, Bahamas. Graduated Noble & Greenough School (1915) and Harvard University (1919); nephew of Arthur D. Little. Founded Special Yarns Corporation in 1923 with $10,000 in borrowed capital, renamed it Textron in 1944; by 1947 sales reached $125 million. Pioneered the modern conglomerate model in the 1950s, acquiring roughly 40 firms by 1960 when he retired as chairman; wrote "How to Lose $100,000,000 and Other Valuable Advice" (1979). Regarded as the father of the conglomerate.
Overview
- Role
- Founder
- Based in
- Providence, RI
- Prior experience
Affiliated funds0
No linked records yet.
Frequently asked
- Who is Royal Little?
- Royal Little founded Textron in 1923, an aerospace and defense conglomerate. Born March 1, 1896 in Wakefield, MA; died January 10, 1989 in Nassau, Bahamas. Graduated Noble & Greenough School (1915) and Harvard University (1919); nephew of Arthur D. Little. Founded Special Yarns Corporation in 1923 with $10,000 in borrowed capital, renamed it Textron in 1944; by 1947 sales reached $125 million. Pioneered the modern conglomerate model in the 1950s, acquiring roughly 40 firms by 1960 when he retired as chairman; wrote "How to Lose $100,000,000 and Other Valuable Advice" (1979). Regarded as the father of the conglomerate.
- What is Royal Little's role?
- Royal Little is Founder, based in Providence, RI.
Sources & citations3
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- 1
Royal Little born March 1, 1896 in Wakefield, MA; died January 10, 1989 in Nassau, Bahamas; graduated Noble & Greenough School (1915) and Harvard University (1919); nephew of Arthur D. Little
Wikipedia: Royal LittleVerified2026-01-01 - 2
Founded Special Yarns Corporation in 1923 with $10,000 in borrowed capital; renamed it Textron in 1944; by 1947 sales reached $125 million; pioneered the modern conglomerate model in the 1950s, acquiring roughly 40 firms by 1960; wrote How to Lose $100,000,000 and Other Valuable Advice (1979)
Britannica Money: Royal Little | Industrialist, Entrepreneur, PhilanthropistVerified2026-01-01 - 3
Royal Little is considered the father of the conglomerate
The Washington Post: Royal Little, Ex-Chief of Textron, DiesVerified1989-01-16