In 1913, Thomas J. Watson left his position as a salesman with the National Cash Register Co. of Dayton, Ohio, to join Computing-Tabulating-Recording Co., a company with its only plant in Endicott, N.Y. It was a small company, with only about 200 employees, that sold a variety of business equipment including scales, time clocks, meat slicers, punch-card systems, and adding machines. An exceptional salesman and organizer, Watson was named president of the company the following year. He created the motto "Think," which was long used by the company.

In 1923, the organization changed its name to International Business Machines Corp., and before Watson’s death in 1956, IBM became the leading company in the manufacturing of computers worldwide. The company had expanded from 235 employees in 1914 to 60,000 employees at 200 offices and plants 40 years later.

Watson also made an indelible mark on the Broome County community with his personal generosity. As a tribute to him, the Thomas J. Watson Society was established to recognize giving by the private and public sectors of the Broome County business community to support the health and human services funded by the United Way of Broome County. All business organizations contributing $10,000 or more in combined corporate and employee campaign gifts in a single year are eligible for membership.

There are four levels of recognition in the Thomas J. Watson Society: 

The Platinum Award recognizes combined corporate and employee giving of $100,000 and above.
The Gold Award recognizes combined corporate and employee giving from $50,000 to $99,999. 
The Silver Award recognizes combined corporate and employee giving from $25,000 to $49,999. 
The Bronze Award honors combined corporate and employee giving from $10,000 to $24,999.

Platinum
BAE Systems
Endicott Interconnect Technologies
IBM Corp.
Conrad and Virginia Klee Foundation
Lockheed Martin Systems Integration
United Health Services

Gold 
Broome County Government employees
Dr. G. Clifford and Florence B. Decker Foundation 
M&T Bank, Southern Division 
New York State Electric & Gas (NYSEG) ^
Security Mutual Life Insurance Co. of New York

Silver
Broome-Tioga BOCES employees ^
Columbian Financial Group 
Emerson Network Power 
Miller S. and Adelaide S. Gaffney Foundation 
Helen T. Howland Foundation
Levene Gouldin & Thompson, L.L.P. 
Lourdes Hospital (LECCO) 
Maines Paper & Food Service
James B. Nelson Trust Fund
Universal Instruments Corp.
Visions Federal Credit Union
Wegmans Food Market