Ralph Reed (American Express)

thumb|upright|Ralph Reed on the cover of [[Time (magazine)|Time (April 9, 1956)]]

Ralph Thomas Reed (July 6, 1890, Philadelphia – January 21, 1968, New York City) was the president of the American Express Company from 1944 to 1960. He joined the company in 1919 as assistant to the controller. He was the person who made the decision to create the American Express charge card, first issued in 1958.

Biography

He was born on July 6, 1890 in Philadelphia, to William Arter and Jennie Smith Reed. TIME noted his personal proclivity for lavish international travel and tipping, and that he once "rented the entire first floor of London’s Hotel Savoy to entertain 500 cocktail guests." He was succeeded as president of Amexco in 1960 by Howard L. Clark. He was chairman of the executive committee of Amex from 1960 to 1965, when he retired.