Cummins Eastern Canada
A History of Commitment
It's been more than four years since his death, and more than 30 since he retired as Cummins' chief executive officer, but J. Irwin Miller's legacy lives on at Cummins.
In Cummins' plants across the globe, as well as conference rooms and even the executive board room, his words on diversity are still prominently displayed.
"Character, ability and intelligence are not concentrated in one sex over the other, nor in persons with certain accents or in certain races or in persons holding degrees from some universities over others," wrote Miller who retired in 1977 after leading the company for some 40 years.
"When we indulge ourselves in such irrational prejudices, we damage ourselves most of all and ultimately assure ourselves of failure in competition with those more open and less biased," he concluded.
Miller was an early and passionate advocate for diversity. He served as the first lay president of the National Council of Churches from 1960 to 1963 while leading Cummins as well.
Under his leadership, the council undertook several risky civil rights initiatives and co-sponsored Dr. Martin Luther King's historic 1963 March on Washington.
"I believe there is no area in life which should not be governed by Christian principles," Miller once said. "Christianity should speak to labor leaders, business leaders, politicians, doctors, lawyers and bankers."
Former Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Tim Solso worked with Miller and says he had a major influence on his life and career. Solso carried on Miller's passion for diversity during his time as CEO.
It's perhaps no surprise that under Solso's tenure, the Company established six key corporate values: Corporate Responsibility, Integrity, Innovation, Delivering Superior Results, Global Involvement and Diversity.
Cummins pledges to "embrace the diverse perspectives of all people and honor both with dignity and respect."
Source: http://www.cummins.com/global-impact/corporate-responsibility/diversity/history-of-committment
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