| Lee Garner, Sr. | |
|---|---|
| |
| Portrayed by | John Cullum |
| First appearance | Smoke Gets in Your Eyes |
| Final appearance | Indian Summer |
| Details | |
| Gender | Male |
| Employer | Lucky Strike |
| Relations | |
| Child(ren) | Lee Garner, Jr. |
Lee Garner, Sr. is the owner of Lucky Strike. His son, Lee Garner, Jr. runs the day-to-day operations of the business.[1]
In 1960, Lee Garner and his son met with Sterling Cooper. They were joined by Roger Sterling, the head of the company, in welcoming Lucky Strike to the office. There were few ideas offered to Lucky Strike, so Pete Campbell interjected and offers that the smokers had a "death wish," something Don Draper had previously rejected. Shocked, they began to leave. Don saved the meeting, by stating that "Advertising is based on one thing, happiness," and that everyone else's tobacco was poisonous, but Lucky Strike's "is toasted." Within moments, Garner was sold.[1]
Garner was later worried over anti-smoking legislation which was in progress at the time, but was at least relieved that it would likely be a few years before they put warning signs on packages. At that meeting with Sterling Cooper, Roger had a minor heart attack, and had to be wheeled away by ambulance drivers.[2]
Sometime before mid-1965, Lee Garner, Sr. became incapacitated, leaving more control over the company to the Lucky Strike board.[3]