George Hutchinson Love was the force that built Consolidation Coal into its leadership position in the American coal industry. Consolidation, thanks to Love’s foresight, was profitable based upon the price of its shares and for being the leading producer of metallurgical coal, both for the domestic market and for export. It was also a major producer of steam coal.
Love was also a major player in coal industry associations. He was the founder of the Bituminous Coal Association and one of the industry leaders in dealing with organized labor. While they were on opposite sides of the bargaining table, John L. Lewis (a Mining Hall of Fame inductee) held Love in high respect, which was an important factor in the progress of the coal industry.
Through his association with M. A. Hanna and with Hanna Mining, he was engaged in iron ore, nickel, and other minerals. He was also vice chairman of National Steel.
At various times, Love was the director of a number of America’s major corporations, including Chrysler, General Electric, Union Carbide, and Mellon Bank. It is said he helped rescue Chrysler from certain doom with a life-saving financial agreement and by serving as its chairman until the clouds cleared.
He was the visionary that created the National Coal Policy Council and was instrumental in founding the National Coal Association, which was recently merged with the American Mining Congress to form the National Mining Association.
Born in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, Love attended Phillips Exeter Academy and Princeton University, where he received his B.A. degree in 1922. He received an M.B.A. at Harvard in 1924.
He quickly assumed leadership roles in Union Collieries Co. in Pittsburgh and its holding corporation, Bessemer Coal & Coke Co. He became the prodigy of George M. Humphrey (a Mining Hall of Fame inductee), later to become U.S. Secretary of the Treasury.
In 1943, Love became executive vice president and chairman of the executive committee of Consolidation Coal Co. By acquiring choice coal-producing properties and through mergers, he became chairman and held that title until 1972. Love was instrumental in the acquisition of Consol by Continental Oil Company in 1966.
Under his leadership, Consol was the first in the industry to utilize research in the effort to find further uses and additional markets for coal. He was one of the first to recognize the necessity for mechanization in the mines in order to keep the price of coal competitive with other sources.
