1940s — Booz Allen helps prepare the nation for war, and later, for peace.
1940 — Secretary of Navy Frank Knox asks firm to help prepare US Navy for war. Through the war, "management engineers" cut through red tape of military bureaucracy to get fast results.
1942-43 — Edwin G. Booz and George W. Fry dispute the future of government consulting. James L. Allen temporarily leaves the firm and Fry resigns to start his own consulting business. Allen later returns and the firm adopts the name Booz, Allen & Hamilton.
1944 — Firm begins helping companies gear up for civilian work and anticipated post-war 'replacement boom.' Fortune magazine features Booz Allen in an article about management consulting headlined, "The Doctors of Management."
1945 — Allen named Chairman of Executive Committee. A long phase of fast growth begins; there are now eight partners, 129 staff members, and offices in Chicago, New York, and Los Angeles. Other offices soon follow in Minneapolis, Washington, and San Francisco.
1946 — Carl L. Hamilton dies of a heart attack. Booz semi-retires; Allen becomes the partner in charge of the firm.
1947 — Firm gets its first U.S. Air Force contract—the "Wright Field Job," which leads to other contracts with Air Force in electronic intelligence and with major aircraft manufacturers. Staff exceeds 100. Sales exceed $2 million.
