Alfred Steele

For the American Baptist clergyman and politician in New Jersey, see Alfred E. Steele.

Alfred Nu Steele
Born	(1900-04-24)April 24, 1900 Nashville, Tennessee, U.S.
Died	April 19, 1959(1959-04-19) (aged 58) Manhattan, New York City, U.S.
Occupation	CEO of Pepsi-Cola
Spouse	Marjorie Mabel Garvey ​ ​ (m. 1929)​ Lillian Nelson ​ (m. 1950)​ Joan Crawford ​ (m. 1955)​

Alfred Nu Steele (April 24, 1900 – April 19, 1959) was an American soft drink businessman most known for being the CEO of Pepsi-Cola Company from 1949 until his death in 1959.

Personal life

Alfred Nu Steele was born on April 25, 1901, in Nashville, Tennessee. He was the son of Edgar Alfred Steele, a teacher, and his wife Fannie Bartrem. Steele graduated from Northwestern University in 1923, where he played football, and became an ad executive after college.

His first marriage was to Marjorie Mabel Garvey on December 17, 1924, in Cook County, Illinois. They had one child but divorced in 1945. He went on to later remarry Lillian Nelson. They had one child.

Steele’s third wife was film actress Joan Crawford — he was her fourth husband. They married on May 10, 1955, at the Flamingo Hotel in Las Vegas. He also took on the father role of her four children.

Career

Steele first worked for The Coca-Cola Company, as vice president of marketing.

In 1949, Steele became the CEO of the Pepsi-Cola Company. Under his leadership, the company launched massive advertising campaigns and sales promotions, resulting in an incredible 11-fold increase in net earnings during the 1950s. Under his management, sales tripled between 1955 and 1957. As a result, Pepsi-Cola became the primary competitor to Coca-Cola. He reduced the sugar content of Pepsi products and introduced them to developing countries. Under Steele's leadership, Pepsi built a new headquarters at 500 Park Avenue in New York City.

One time during a meeting, a colleague suggested that he should use his wife’s star power to increase sales. He refused, but when Crawford heard this, she was happy to if it would benefit her husband.

Herbert L. Barnet, Steele's handpicked successor as chairman and CEO, appointed Crawford to the board of directors after his death. In her later career, product placement for Pepsi was included in several films, including Strait-Jacket (1964) and Berserk! (1967). Crawford would remain on the board of directors of the Pepsi-Cola Company until 1973.

Death

Alfred Steele and Joan Crawford's grave at Ferncliff Cemetery and Mausoleum

Alfred Steele, CEO of Pepsi-Cola, died of a heart attack on April 19, 1959. He was found on the floor by his wife, Joan Crawford, that morning who quickly phoned the doctor. She was in complete shock, covering him in blankets and yelling "Get warm, get warm!" Once the doctor arrived, he pronounced Steele dead of an instant heart attack. His death came as a shock to his colleagues, friends, and family, who praised him for his leadership and vision at Pepsi-Cola.

Steele’s funeral was held on April 22, 1959 at New York's St. Thomas Episcopal Church. Nearly 1200 people attended the funeral.

His remains were interred in Ferncliff Cemetery and Mausoleum in Hartsdale, Westchester, New York. The two had their ashes interred in a crypt together upon Crawford's death in May 1977. His crypt marker incorrectly lists his middle initial as "M" for no explained reason.