The day after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, he enlisted in the United States Navy and, during World War II, served for more than three years as a submarine destroyer commander and on an anti-personnel naval ship.
The next year, he was elected vice-president of the company, handling not only public relations and market research, but also new product development and packaging.
His marketing inspiration came from William K. Howell, who is credited with the success of Marlboro cigarettes and the Miller Brewing Company.
Howell and Weissman introduced the Marlboro Man, an advertising figure who help propel Philip Morris to a leading position in the tobacco industry.
He died at age 90 on July 24, 2009, in Greenwich, Connecticut, due to declining health, exacerbated by an accidental fall at his home in Rye, New York.