Ralph E. Kent, the former chairman of Arthur Young & Co., died on June 26. Cause of death was not released. He was 88.
Kent graduated from Ohio State University in 1937. That same year, he landed a job with the accounting firm of Arthur Young & Co. in New York. Kent worked his way up the corporate ladder until 1965, when he was promoted to senior partner and chairman of the Ernst & Young predecessor firm. He remained in this position until his retirement in 1977.
Outside of the office, Kent was a dedicated member of his profession. He served on the consultant panel of the Comptroller General of the United States for 16 years. A life member of the American Institute of CPAs, Kent was also the organization's president from 1968 to 1969. A scholarship for students studying accounting has been established in his honor.
Posted on July 5, 2004 6:46 AMI left AY as a partner in 1971; however, Ralph Kent has never left my mind and the impression he made on me. My only regret with leaving the firm for private investments, was that I no longer was associated with the strong steel personality that I so admired.
I just learned of his death my doing a google search.
Posted by Wayne Goettsche on November 4, 2005 1:01 PM