Ralph Reed (American Express)

Ralph Thomas Reed[1] (July 6, 1890, Philadelphia – January 21, 1968, New York City) was the president of the American Express Company from 1944 to 1960.

[2] He was the person who made the decision to create the American Express charge card, first issued in 1958.

[2] TIME magazine in 1956 described Reed, as Amex president, as the "businessman who first applied to foreign travel all the ingenuity and resources of U.S. industry," stating he had done "more than anyone else in the world to lure the American abroad and make his trip a success."

He also saw the implementation of Amex programs intended to make travel easier and cheaper for Americans, including trip planning services, and detective services to find traveling family members and missing items.

[3] 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.