ABSTRACT
Hugo Hirst (1863–1943), who was created Lord Hirst in 1934, was a director of the General Electric Company (GEC) from its formation in 1889, and chairman from 1910 until his death. He was not only an omnipotent power in that company, but for some 40 years the most influential figure in British electrical manufacturing. 1 Although he published various pamphlets, articles and letters on business subjects, 2 these were of an impersonal nature, and no full-length biography has appeared since his death. This therefore increases the interest attached to two autobiographical letters from Hirst preserved in the papers of Tariff Commission deposited at the British Library of Political and Economic Science in London. 3 Written in response to press attacks, both dated 25 October 1915 and sent to GEC's representative at Sydney, Australia, Edward Hirst, they give a detailed if subjective account of both Hugo Hirst's early life and his experiences at GEC.
