PASCALL, Sydney Woodroffe
Type
Person
25th April 1877 to 25th April 2024
Related Items
Occupation
Biographical Text
Pascall was born in New Maldon, Surrey in 1877, the son of Quaker confectioner James Pascall. He joined the family firm and, following the death of his father in 1918, became chairman and managing director. The firm, James Pascall Ltd, had been a thriving business, competing successfully with other Quaker confectioners such as Rowntree, Cadbury and Fry. However, Sydney Pascall mishandled the business severely, lost profits and racked up debt. Pascall was forced to resign as managing director in 1930, and as chairman in 1932. Under new management, the firm’s fortunes soon turned around.
Pascall was also deeply involved with Rotary International. He was a close friend of Paul Harris, the American founder of Rotary, and served on the board of Rotary International for some years. In 1927 he addressed the World Economic Conference sponsored by the League of Nations, speaking out against bribery and corruption. Pascall continued his involvement with Rotary until the end of his life. He died in 1949.
In his Rowntree conference paper, Pascall listed three ideals of industry. The first was simply that any business should be run successfully and profitably. The second ideal is to run the business so that it delivers good service to its customers. The third is that the company ‘must be run in such a way that it benefits all who are engaged in it. It must not be run at the expense of the workers in the industry.’
I remember making some remark to Mr. George Cadbury about the amount of good he could do with his money. He at once said; ‘That is not the point, it is not the amount of good we ran do with money when we have made it; it is the amount of good we ran do in making it.’
No matter how finely tuned the machines are, no matter how perfect the administration, says Pascall, industry must still be motivated by the right spirit.
Pascall was also deeply involved with Rotary International. He was a close friend of Paul Harris, the American founder of Rotary, and served on the board of Rotary International for some years. In 1927 he addressed the World Economic Conference sponsored by the League of Nations, speaking out against bribery and corruption. Pascall continued his involvement with Rotary until the end of his life. He died in 1949.
In his Rowntree conference paper, Pascall listed three ideals of industry. The first was simply that any business should be run successfully and profitably. The second ideal is to run the business so that it delivers good service to its customers. The third is that the company ‘must be run in such a way that it benefits all who are engaged in it. It must not be run at the expense of the workers in the industry.’
I remember making some remark to Mr. George Cadbury about the amount of good he could do with his money. He at once said; ‘That is not the point, it is not the amount of good we ran do with money when we have made it; it is the amount of good we ran do in making it.’
No matter how finely tuned the machines are, no matter how perfect the administration, says Pascall, industry must still be motivated by the right spirit.
Bibliography
‘Life Saver: James Pascall’, http://letslookagain.com/2015/03/a-history-of-james-pascall/
‘Sydney Pascall’, Rotary International, https://www.rghfhome.org/first100/presidents/1931pascall/bio.htm#.WB8cByRZhVc
‘Sydney Pascall’, Rotary International, https://www.rghfhome.org/first100/presidents/1931pascall/bio.htm#.WB8cByRZhVc
Original Source
Lecture:
‘Ideals of industry’, 24 September 1922, Balliol College
‘Ideals of industry’, 24 September 1922, Balliol College
Citation
“PASCALL, Sydney Woodroffe,” The Rowntree Business Lectures and the Interwar British Management Movement, accessed April 25, 2024, https://rowntree.exeter.ac.uk/items/show/191.