“There are a lot of things I learned, and I’m sure readers will find there are many things they will learn too,” Allen says. “One reader wrote, ‘I had no idea of the extent of the tobacco companies’ philanthropy. I did not know that tobacco money built and supported McGill University, Duke University, Wake Forest University and other institutions, or how much money went to hospitals and museums.’ I, too, learned more about the Duke Endowment and the Doris Duke Endowment and how tobacco money did a lot of good.”
Throughout the book’s 250 pages, EDA witnesses the growth and gradual decline of the Canadian flue-cured tobacco industry. In 1978, he retired and left a legacy of treating people right by listening to them and encouraging all of his employees to take ownership of their company. He believed that good suggestions could come from anyone, and EDA was always willing to listen, especially to the lower echelon employees who spent their entire workdays doing the jobs required of them. EDA also was a strong advocate for building personal relationships with Canadian Leaf Tobacco Co.’s customers and encouraged members of his sales team to rely on knowledge instead of high-pressure sales techniques to serve their customers.
“I always respected my dad,” Allen concludes. “He was a humble man, never got ‘too big for his britches,’ had a tremendous work ethic, and I saw how he was kind and respectful to all people that crossed his path. I probably gained even more respect and admiration for him when people told me stories about him as I did research for When Tobacco Was King. EDA, the boss, was a great listener and genuinely cared for his employees. I learned of many things that he did for people to help them in their jobs and even financially—quietly, on his own accord. I did not include some of these stories in the book, but my dad’s secretary, Connie Finch, contributes some touching stories about EDA that are in the book.”
While on the surface the subject matter of When Tobacco Was King might seem narrow and appeal to a very select audience, the book is a sweeping historical narrative that touches on a lot of topics. Part biography, part business history and part social history, When Tobacco Was King captures the glory years of the fascinating world of international tobacco, and readers meet various interesting people along the way. Business owners will enjoy the business histories and biographies of the people EDA met throughout his career and will especially benefit from reviewing EDA’s business principles that are highlighted in the book’s 23rd chapter. Likewise, anyone who has worked in the tobacco business or who had relatives earning their living in the tobacco industry will be pleased with When Tobacco Was King.
When Tobacco Was King is available on Amazon in either a soft-cover book edition or a Kindle edition. Allen is also available to speak at public engagements and encourages any interested groups, organizations or businesses to contact him by email at paulallen342@aol.com or by phone 613-829-8752.
This story first appeared in the November/December 2019 issue of Tobacco Business magazine. Members of the tobacco industry are eligible for a complimentary subscription to our magazine. Click here for details.
– Story by Stephen A. Ross, editor-in-chief of Tobacco Business Magazine.
