John D. Hertz
| John Daniel Hertz, Sr. | |
|---|---|
Hertz in 1899
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| Born |
Sándor Herz April 10, 1879 Sklabiňa, Martin, Slovakia |
| Died | October 8, 1961 (aged 82) Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
| Occupation | Businessman: Taxis & rental cars Racehorse owner/breeder Philanthropist |
| Board member of | General Motors |
| Spouse(s) | Fannie Kesner (m. 1903–61) (his death) |
| Children | Leona Jane Hertz John Daniel Hertz, Jr. Helen |
John Daniel Hertz, Sr. (April 10, 1879 – October 8, 1961) was an American businessman, thoroughbred racehorse owner and breeder, and philanthropist.
Born Sándor Herz in Sklabiňa, a village near Martin, Slovakia. His family emigrated to Chicago when he was five.
As a young man, Hertz Jr. was an amateur boxer, fighting under the name "Dan Donnelly." He won amateur championships at the Chicago Athletic Association and eventually began to box under his own name. He lived at 880 Fifth Avenue in New York City.
Hertz had extensive and complex business interests, mainly in the transport sector.
Hertz's first job was selling newspapers, and eventually he became a reporter for the Chicago Morning News. When the paper, then called the Chicago Record, merged with another paper, he lost his job. Although he couldn't drive, in 1904 he found a job selling cars at the suggestion of a friend. Because of the number of trade-ins, he came up with the idea of creating a cab company with low prices so the common man could afford to ride in them. In 1907, he had a fleet of seven used cars that he used as cabs.
He founded the Yellow Cab Company in Chicago in 1915, which offered taxicab service at a modest price. The distinctive yellow cabs became popular in his home city and were quickly franchised throughout the United States. He then founded the Chicago Motor Coach Company in 1917 to operate bus transport services in Chicago and the Yellow Cab Manufacturing Company in 1920 to manufactured taxicabs for sale. In 1923, he founded the Yellow Coach Manufacturing Company to manufacture coaches and later cars. In 1924, he acquired a rental car business, renaming it Hertz Drive-Ur-Self Corporation.
Competition between the Yellow Cab Company and Checker Taxi in Chicago was fierce and frequently violent with a number of shootings and deaths.
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