Arnold Hiatt

Arnold Hiatt, the president and chief executive officer of The Stride Rite Corp. for two decades, was one of the most influential and successful corporate executives in the last half of the 20th century. The Harvard Business Review said he was "widely regarded as one of the most responsible employers and corporate citizens in the United States." He pioneered important new workplace trends, launched the nation's first on-site childcare and intergenerational centers, was an early adapter of generous family and adoption leave policies, encouraged his employees to mentor urban youth on company time, and banned smoking in the workplace well before it was fashionable. Hiatt is equally distinguished for his leadership in the worlds of philanthropy, political and social action, the arts, and early education. This inspirational biography tells the story of a remarkable man, a leader in fighting for some of the great political and social issues of our time.