Reynolds American Inc.

Richard Joshua “R.J.” Reynolds was born in Patrick County, Virginia to Nancy Jane Cox Reynolds and Hardin William Reynolds, a successful tobacco farmer and manufacturer. He was one of 16 children and the second oldest son.

At 24, R.J. Reynolds sold his interest in the family tobacco business to his father and left Patrick County to start his own tobacco company.

R.J. Reynolds purchased a hundred-foot lot on “Depot Street” and built the “Little Red Factory,” a two-story building covering less area than a tennis court.

R.J. Reynolds began manufacturing chewing plug and twist in the 4,500 square foot factory, producing 150,000 pounds of chewing tobacco in 1875.

“R.J.R” was registered as a trademark for Plug and Twist Tobacco, Patent No. 13,566.

R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company was officially incorporated in North Carolina, with R.J. Reynolds as President and his brother Will Neal Reynolds as Vice President.

R.J. Reynolds personally contributed $500 to establish The Slater Industrial and State Normal School (now Winston-Salem State University).

R.J. Reynolds purchased land and built the “Little Red Factory,” a two-story building that covered less area than a tennis court.

R.J. Reynolds and Simon Atkins proposed and funded the first African American hospital in the South, The Slater Hospital, which opened on May 14, 1902.

J.W. Young was hired as the first dedicated salesman for R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company.

R.J. Reynolds’ success enabled him to purchase most of the competing tobacco factories in Winston, producing approximately 25% of America’s chewing tobacco business.

R.J. Reynolds married Katharine Smith in Mount Airy, North Carolina.

R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company introduced a pipe tobacco blend using Kentucky burley, naming it Prince Albert.

The towns of Winston and Salem were officially incorporated as Winston-Salem. The same year, the Camel name was associated with a circus photograph of a camel and a dromedary.

R.J. Reynolds married Katharine Smith in Mount Airy, North Carolina.

The R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company headquarters opened as a 314-foot Art Deco skyscraper designed by Shreve & Lamb.

The skyscraper was completed at a cost of $2.7 million, becoming the tallest building between Baltimore and Birmingham.

The Slater Hospital was formally opened during the ninth commencement of Slater School.

Winston-Salem became the eighth-largest port of entry for goods in the U.S., despite being 200 miles inland.

R.J. Reynolds’s success caught the attention of James B. Duke, leading to the American Tobacco Company’s formation and Reynolds’s continued independence under Duke’s control.

R.J. Reynolds died at his home, Reynolda House, at age 68, serving as CEO for 43 years.

William Neal Reynolds took over as President after his brother’s death in 1918 and became the first chairman of the board in 1924.

William N. Reynolds purchased the 1,117-acre estate on the Yadkin River, establishing Tanglewood Park and Arboretum.

Katharine Reynolds donated funds and land for R.J. Reynolds High School in memory of her husband.

The Art Deco skyscraper headquarters opened, designed by Shreve & Lamb, and became the tallest building in the region.

S. Clay Williams became assistant general counsel, later serving as general counsel, vice-president, president, and chairman of the board until his death in 1935.

James A. Gray became Vice President, then President, and later chairman of the board, contributing to the company’s growth and the establishment of the Bowman Gray School of Medicine.

Reynolds donated funds for the hospital to treat African-American patients, which opened as the Kate B. Reynolds Memorial Hospital.

Bowman Gray, Sr. and his wife Nathalie oversaw the construction of Graylyn estate, completed in 1932, and donated stock for the Bowman Gray School of Medicine.

Reynolds donated $115,000 for the hospital, which opened with 100 beds, and later added a 96-bed extension.

Whitaker Park opened as a desegregated facility, one of the most extensive actions in the South at the time.

The Bowman Gray School of Medicine opened on property donated by the Gray family, expanding Wake Forest College’s medical program.

Between 1947 and 1949, Bailey Power Plant was constructed to provide electricity and steam for R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company, with iconic smokestacks remaining today.

The personnel department was formally established, overseeing benefits and safety, with fewer accidents than the national average.

John C. Whitaker served as chairman from 1952 to 1959, and the Whitaker Park complex was named in his honor.

R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company adopted an employee suggestion plan, rewarding workers for ideas.

Winston filtered cigarettes were launched, marking a new era for the company.

Air conditioning was added to the headquarters building.

Bowman Gray, Jr., son of Bowman Gray, Sr., became President of R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company.

Alexander H. Galloway drove growth and diversification, including the purchase of Sea-Land Industries and the rebranding to R.J. Reynolds Industries.

Whitaker Park opened as a desegregated facility, one of the most extensive actions in the South at the time.

The Surgeon General’s Advisory Committee issued a report on smoking and health, leading to the Federal Cigarette Labeling and Advertising Act of 1965.

Over 50,000 people attended R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company’s 100th anniversary.

The company invested $500 million in a new cigarette plant in Tobaccoville, NC.

The modernist R.J. Reynolds Plaza Building was completed, becoming the headquarters for R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company and Reynolds American in 2009.

The Tobaccoville Manufacturing Center was dedicated, situated on 614 acres with 2 million square feet of space.

Andrew J. Schindler was named President and CEO, returning the headquarters to Winston-Salem in 2002.

The Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement was entered between the four largest U.S. tobacco companies and 52 state and territory attorneys’ generals.

R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Holdings purchased Santa Fe Natural Tobacco Company (Natural American Spirit) for $340 million.

Brown & Williamson Tobacco merged with R.J. Reynolds Tobacco, forming Reynolds American Inc., with British American Tobacco owning 42%.

Susan Ivey was named President and CEO of Reynolds American Inc., the first woman CEO of a major tobacco company.

Reynolds American donated a 40-acre downtown factory complex, including nearly 3 million sq. ft. of buildings, to the community.

Reynolds American’s acquisition of Conwood expanded its portfolio to smokeless tobacco brands like Kodiak, Cougar, and Grizzly.

R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company introduced Camel SNUS, a heat-treated, spitless tobacco pouch.

Daniel M. Delen oversaw the launch of Vuse Solo, gaining a 33% market share by 2015.

Susan Cameron re-joined Reynolds American and announced the acquisition of Lorillard Inc and the Newport brand, the largest woman-led acquisition at the time.

Debra Crew replaced Cameron as president and CEO, the first woman to succeed another woman as CEO of a Fortune 500 company.

BAT agreed to acquire the remaining shares of Reynolds American, integrating it into the global BAT Group.