Irving Jacob Reuter

Irving Jacob Reuter (1885–1972) was an automotive leader in the early 1900s. In 1925 he was named general manager and president of Oldsmobile after rising through the ranks at Remy Electric and then General Motors after the two companies merged in 1918.

He was from Indianapolis, Indiana, where he met and married Janet (or Jeannette) Reuter née Graham on Feb. 24, 1909.,

Irving Reuter graduated with an engineering degree in 1907 from Purdue University College of Engineering. His knowledge of the automobile industry was reflected both in managerial duties, and by the six patents he obtained. They include inventions related to such developments as an electric generator, an ignition apparatus, a system for supplying electricity, an ignition coil, a roadster rear seat, and an engine starting device.

In 1922 he was one of ten original investors in General Motors Investment Corporation. That corporation was said to have rejuvenated the finances of the automobile industry.

Reuter retired from General Motors in 1935 at the age of 50 and after retirement, he and his wife lived in various locations in Florida and Asheville, North Carolina, where they moved in 1937.

In 1927 at Eaton Rapids, Michigan, Reuter and his wife, Janet (née Graham) Reuter (1886–1984), built a lavish country home they called Medovue. From 1928 to 1936, prominent members of American business and automotive companies were their guests at social functions. They were listed both in Who's Who in America and Who's Who in Michigan during their Medovue residency. In 1936 he abruptly left his position at Oldsmobile and retired to Florida, although they evidently moved on to North Carolina.

The home was built by the Reniger Construction Co. of Lansing in about a year from a "countryhouse" plan created by architect Harold Childs of East Lansing. The home includes large expanses of Pewabic Pottery, and the grand (and for the time technologically advanced) main bathroom is a festive work of decorative arts. Also credited is architect, Kenneth Black, who in 1930 added a rear wing and bedroom space for family member Pearl Graham (Janet's sister) of whom Janet was very close to.

...
Wikipedia