George Humphrey was one of the most prominent figures in the mining industry, where he was involved with the organization and operation of National Steel Corporation, Consolidation Coal Company, and M.A. Hanna Company.​

He opened up an entire new area in the supply of iron ore to U.S. steel mills with his involvement in the Iron Ore Company of Canada.​

Humphrey was prominent in banking and finance in Cleveland, Ohio and was Secretary of the Treasury under President Eisenhower from 1953 to 1957. He was a staunch advocate of a balanced Federal budget.​

Born in Saginaw, Michigan, he graduated from the University of Michigan and the Michigan Law School. His career began when he joined the M.A. Hanna Company in 1917 and became its President in 1929. Humphrey was instrumental in organizing National Steel in 1929 and Pittsburgh Consolidation Coal a few years later. After resigning his Cabinet post, he served as Chairman of National Steel, becoming Chairman of its Executive Committee in 1961.​

He was a Director of National City Bank, Phelps Dodge Corporation, Industrial Rayon Corp., and Iron Ore Company of Canada.​

Humphrey was among the first to realize the need for consolidation and diversification in the mining industry. An associate of his once said, “If you dropped him in the middle of a desert, he would come out with a newly-organized corporation on a dividend-paying basis.”​

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