topics: |  business | history | reference

About 120 American companies from the 1980s.  Flipping through it in the
2000's, one is struck by how many are not there any more...

A&P, ABC, Abbott Labs, Aetna, Albertson's, Alcan... Atlantic Richfield,
Avon, Bally, ... EXXON, Mobil, Sohio, Standard Oil of California,
Standard Oil of Indiana, Tampax, Tandy, Tenneco, Texas Instruments, TWA,
Union Carbide, Uniroyal, US Air, U.S. Steel, United Parcel Service, Upjohn,
Walgreen, ... Wm. Wrigley Jr, Xerox, Zenith

The companies are categorized into 16 groups, according to products and
services, named as:
    - Food, glorious food (butchers, bakers, farmers, grocers, fast food)
    - Clothing and Shelter (textile, cobblers, home people, appliances)
    - Alchemy: looking, feeling and smelling good (beauty, health, druggists)
    - The car: Personal mobility (auto makers, car parts)
    - Advertising
    - Light catchers
    - Ma bell and Pa computer (telephones, computers)
    - From the earth (petroleum, mines)
    - industrial heavyweights (steel, chemicals, earthmovers, nuclear)
    - In transit : Rails to rockets (railroads, motor carriers, airlines,
	    plane and missile builders)
    - Fun and games (hollywood, hotels, casino, toys, books)
    - Light up and drink up  (cigarette and drinks))

Quote: Corporations, like people, are often better understood by looking at
       their past.