Booz & Company history

In 1924, Booz changed the name of his firm to Business Surveys, to more accurately reflect his firm's focus: business surveys and subsequent analysis and recommendations.

In 1925, Booz hired his first permanent, full-time assistant, George Fry, another Northwestern alumnus.

In 1929, Booz moved his own office into the new Chicago Daily News Building and hired a third consultant, James L. Allen, who had just graduated from Northwestern.

In 1936, Booz, Fry, Allen & Hamilton was established.

Fry resigned from the partnership in December 1942 to start his own consulting business, and Allen returned early the following year to a renamed partnership--Booz Allen & Hamilton, where he was asked to help mold the firm's organizational structure and chair a newly established executive committee.

In 1946, Hamilton died, and, the following year, Booz retired, leaving Allen as chairperson of the firm's governing board.

In 1953, Booz Allen landed its first international contract, an assignment to study and help reorganize land-ownership records for the newly established Philippine government.

By 1969, Booz Allen--the largest consulting firm in the United States--had more than 15 major or project offices on five continents, generating annual revenues of $55 million and earnings of $3.5 million.

In January 1970, the firm went public, following the lead of Arthur D. Little, Inc., which had initiated public ownership of large consulting firms a year earlier.

By 1980, Booz Allen's annual revenues had climbed to $180 million, having more than tripled in a decade, and the company was running a close second in United States consulting service billings to Arthur Andersen.

By 1983, recessionary conditions and an oil glut led to a profit slump for Booz Allen.

In 1989, the company launched a major expansion program of its computer systems integration (CSI) services for commercial clients, in an effort to expand its presence in the commercial computer systems and technology market.

In 1993, Booz Allen was hired by the United States Agency for International Development to devise a strategy to lead a consortium of firms in the privatization of civilian and defense industries in 11 newly independent states of the former Soviet Union.