Heimann was NACM’s leader for the 50th Anniversary Golden Jubilee of the founding of the Association. Looking backward and forward, he said “As we stand at the half-century mark, we again find a world full of perplexing economic problems, and we find chaos left by war. We still have need for the trust and understanding in business that was found wanting in 1896, but in this respect we are far richer than our predecessors of the last century: We can face the many business problems and strive to bring order out of chaos because we have learned to work together in attacking our problems and we have learned that, for the most part, all our problems are mutual ones.”

The members of NACM owe a debt of gratitude to this great man. His accomplishments and dedication saved the organization during the times of financial stress.

On September 12, 1958 Henry Heimann died, immediately after he had delivered the keynote address at a North Central Credit Conference at Winnipeg, Canada. He died as he lived—working for the credit profession.

HENRY H. HEIMANN President, 1931-1932

Henry H. Heimann was president (chairman), from 1931 to 1932. During his NACM presidency, he was vice president of Kawneer Company, Niles, Michigan. He had served as auditor, credit manager and treasurer of the company and also had his Bachelor of Law degree.

He became executive vice president in 1932 and was, for more than a quarter of a century, the chief architect and master builder of NACM.

Henry Heimann was an author and lecturer who was one of the nation’s leading economists and widely quoted business analyst. While Heimann served as executive vice president, he was “lent” to the department of Commerce to serve as director of the United States Shipping Board, and he was a charter member of the Business Advisory and Planning Council of the Department of Commerce. During his service in Washington, he did excellent work in straightening out the tangled affairs of the shipping Board Bureau. Rather than continue with the Department of Commerce, Heimann returned to NACM, stating that he felt the work of the National Association of Credit Men was as important as any other in the business field and that he could be of greater service in his NACM position.

During the Second World War he was a Navy captain responsible for New York harbor security.

Mr. Heimann’s Monthly Business Review, with a circulation of 50,000, was quoted by over 275 newspapers and magazines. He wrote hundreds of articles for national publications, and his editorials in Credit and Financial Management were frequently reprinted.

In 1935, at the special request of the Secretary of Commerce, Heimann drafted a shipping bill for consideration by the congressional committees on the general subject of Federal control of shipping and relating especially to a new plan for direct shipping subsidies as advocated by President Roosevelt. He was appointed to the committee that established the Federal Reserve System.

All of this brought prominence and distinction to the Association.