In 1912, George Whelan put his United Cigar Stores company under a new holding company, Tobacco Products Corporation, and immediately started buying small tobacco independents.
In 1919, the company picked up a then-tiny Philip Morris & Company, Ltd. Inc, adding PM's brands Cambridge, Oxford Blues, English Ovals, Players, and Marlboro.
In 1929, Tobacco Products Corporation crashed shortly before the market; Philip Morris was then picked up by Rube Ellis, who called in Leonard McKitterick to help run it.
