William Robert Timken Jr. (born December 21, 1938) is an American industrialist, businessman and former diplomat. He served as the
U.S. Ambassador to Germany from 2005–2008. He has served at The
Timken Company
The Timken Company is a global manufacturer of bearings and power transmission products. Timken operates from 42 countries.
Company history
In 1898, Henry Timken obtained a patent for an improved tapered roller bearing, and in 1899 incorporat ...
(which his great-grandfather
Henry Timken
Henry Timken (August 16, 1831 in Bremen, Germany – March 16, 1909 in San Diego, California)
was an inventor and businessman who founded the Timken Roller Bearing Company, later called the Timken Company. His family migrated to the United ...
founded) as chairman of the board of directors, president and CEO. Timken has been chairman of
Securities Investor Protection Corporation
The Securities Investor Protection Corporation (SIPC ) is a federally mandated, non-profit, member-funded, United States corporation created under the Securities Investor Protection Act (SIPA) of 1970 that mandates membership of most US-register ...
,
National Association of Manufacturers
The National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) is an advocacy group headquartered in Washington, D.C., with additional offices across the United States. It is the nation's largest manufacturing industrial trade association, representing 14,000 s ...
, The Manufacturing Institute and the Ohio Business Roundtable. He also served on the advisory council of the Stanford University School of Business and the U.S.-Japan Business Council.
Timken is an
honorary citizen of
Colmar,
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...
. He attended
Phillips Academy and received his bachelor's degree from
Stanford University, where he was captain of the swim team.
He earned his MBA from
Harvard Business School. He is married with 6 children. He was recipient of the Gold Medallion Award from the
International Swimming Hall of Fame
The International Swimming Hall of Fame and Museum (ISHOF) is a history museum and hall of fame, located at One Hall of Fame Drive, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, United States, operated by private interests and serving as the central point for the s ...
in 2009.
He is of German descent and was honored by the
German-American Heritage Foundation of the USA in 2009. His great-grandfather was from
Tarmstedt,
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
, near the city of
Bremen.
See also
*
Distinguished German-American of the Year
References
External links
Chiefs of Mission for Germany*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Timken, William
Living people
1938 births
American people of German descent
Stanford University alumni
Harvard Business School alumni
Ambassadors of the United States to Germany
Phillips Academy alumni
Stanford University trustees
20th-century American businesspeople
Henry Laurence Gantt Medal recipients