Former A.O. Smith chairman dies

Thomas Dolan, former chairman and CEO of A.O. Smith Corp., died on Dec. 25. He was 84.
Dolan succeeded Lloyd B. Smith, great-grandson of founder A.O. Smith, as CEO and chairman of the company in 1984. He remained CEO until 1989 and retained the chairman position until 1992. Dolan was a member of the Board of Directors until his 1996 retirement.
While in Milwaukee, Dolan was also director of the Medical College of Milwaukee and served on the Board of Directors at the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce.
“Tom Dolan led A. O. Smith during one of the most challenging periods in its history,” said Paul Jones, current CEO and chairman. “The country was suffering through back-to-back recessions, and the domestic automotive industry (at the time A. O. Smith’s largest business) was going through an extensive restructuring. Tom not only returned the company to profitability, he created the foundation for our subsequent success and growth.”