Special to The Desert Sun

While no longer the tallest, arguably the most recognizable skyscraper in the world is the Empire State Building. That the iconic building exists at all is truly remarkable and is due to a quintessential New Yorker, John Jacob Raskob.

Raskob was a figure of impressive organizational skills and was considered a financial wizard, serving simultaneously as vice president of finance for both DuPont de Nemours and Company and General Motors. In the latter capacity, Raskob created the innovative and groundbreaking General Motors Acceptance Corporation, the pioneer in automotive credit that for the first time allowed customers the opportunity to buy cars on installment directly from dealers.

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