New Boss for Standard

The world's biggest oil company--and Royal Dutch/Shell's chief competitor--last week picked a new boss: Monroe Jackson Rathbone, 60, President of Standard Oil Co. (New Jersey) since 1954, he was named chief executive officer to replace retiring Eugene Holman, 65, chairman of the board. Rathbone started as a draftsman with Standard Oil of Louisiana in Baton Rouge in 1921. Working up to vice president in charge of manufacturing, he battled Huey Long over expansion of the oil industry in the state, became president of Louisiana Standard. Ten years later, after Louisiana Standard was merged into Esso, he became president of Esso.

Other changes of the week:

P: Howard Longstreth Clark, 44, a lawyer and certified public accountant who joined the American Express Co. in 1945, was named to succeed retiring President Ralph T. Reed, 69. Reed will continue as a director and chairman of the executive committee. Clark, who was born in South Pasadena, Calif., worked his way through Stanford University as a waiter and gas station attendant, used an aunt's $100 graduation present to go to New York because it was "the place to get ahead." He got a job with Price, Waterhouse, accountants, took night-school courses until he passed his C.P.A. exams. Then he decided to be a lawyer, borrowed money from an uncle to go to Harvard Law School. After a wartime desk job in the Navy (fellow office worker: Lawyer Richard M.Nixon), he was hired by American Express in its search for new blood. Clark quickly drew Reed's attention and became his personal assistant, used his opportunities to mind the store while Reed was traveling to check up abroad, has been executive vice president since 1956. Married, he lives in Stamford, Conn, with his wife and four children, is a crack golfer (in the 70s) and tennis player.

P: Philip Goldsmith, 52, was named president of Bates Manufacturing Co., Maine's largest textile company (1959 sales: $38 million). He was the choice of Bates's chairman and chief stockholder, Mrs. Sylvia Martin, widow of Bates's last president, Lester Martin. Goldsmith is also president of Mojud Co., will keep both jobs. London born, he migrated to Brooklyn after World War I, started as a sample boy in a hosiery firm, by 30 owned his first mill. In 1940 he bought the Diamond hosiery firm (150 employees), sold it in 1954 (sales: $8,000,000; employees: 1,500) to head lingerie-making Julius Kayser & Co. for three years, moved on to Mojud last month.

P: Lee Smith Bickmore, 51, sales expert of the National Biscuit Co., was named Nabisco president. Utah-born and educated, Bickmore joined Nabisco in 1933, was a salesman from 1935-40, in 1950 became vice president in charge of sales and advertising. He succeeds George Henry Coppers, 57, who moves up to chair man of the board, will remain Nabisco's chief executive officer.

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