E. Robert Kinney was born in Burnham, Maine in 1918. He was educated at Bates College and Harvard University. He began a crab-canning business that was later sold to Gorton’s; Kinney became president of Gorton’s and later helped negotiate its merger into General Mills. Moving to General Mills headquarters in Minneapolis following the merger, Kinney eventually became chairman and CEO of General Mills, from which he retired in 1982.
From the guide to the Oral history interview with E. Robert Kinney., 2009., (Minnesota Historical Society)