Batten, William

Batten, William (Milfred) (1909–  ) businessman, stock market executive; born in Reedy, W.Va. After graduating from Ohio State (1932), he worked for the Kellogg Company before joining the J. C. Penney Co., where he worked his way up from an assistant store manager to become president, chief executive officer, and chairman (1958–74). He gained credit for a major growth phase of this large retailer. He then became president of the New York Stock Exchange (1976–84), where he tightened and streamlined operations as the Exchange adjusted to changing government regulations and increased competition.