The Story of Frederick C. Crawford
Frederick Coolidge Crawford was not only a Cleveland industrialist and namesake of the Crawford Auto Aviation Museum, but was also recognized worldwide for his leadership in the automotive and aviation industries, and a man who was greatly respected by his peers and his employees. In his long lifetime, he was able to experience the dawn of the automobile, the invention of the aircraft, and seeing man walk on the moon. And he played a large part in all of it.
| |
|
|
Born in Watertown, Massachusetts in 1891, Mr. Crawford was educated at Harvard, receiving a Master¹s degree in Civil Engineering in 1914. In 1916, he came to Cleveland to work at Steel Products, Co. (later renamed Thompson Products), which manufactured fittings and connectors for automobiles. He started as a Millwright¹s Helper, and began to work his way up the company¹s ladder. In 1929, Mr. Crawford became general manager of the company¹s Cleveland plant. Soon after this, he became the company¹s vice-president, and after the death of Charles Thompson in 1933, Frederick Crawford was named company president.
|
 |
|
Mr. Crawford worked to keep Thompson Products involved in the National Air Races in Cleveland, helping to organize the event and sponsoring the prestigious Thompson Trophy. Under his direction, Thompson Products increased its presence in the aviation industry, and continued to solidify its position as a major automotive component manufacturer. Mr. Crawford¹s interest in automobiles also directly led to the creation of the Thompson Products Auto Album, one of the first car museums in the United States, which began in 1937 with the purchase of a 1910 Duryea, a car which is still on display in the Crawford Museum.
|
 |
|
In the 1950s, Thompson Products merged with California-based Ramo Wooldridge, forming Thompson Ramo Wooldridge, later shortened to TRW. The company now had an international presence, making not only components for automobiles and aircraft, but also becoming a major player in the space industry, producing satellites and engines for lunar landers. The company remained headquartered in Cleveland until 2003.
|
 |
Mr. Crawford was also a major presence in Cleveland, becoming involved with many philanthropic and educational organizations, including the Western Reserve Historical Society. In 1963, Mr. Crawford had TRW donate the Thompson Products Auto Album collection to the Historical Society, which renamed the collection the Frederick C. Crawford Auto Aviation Museum. Mr. Crawford was also elected to the Business Hall of Fame, National Automotive Hall of Fame, and the National Aviation Hall of Fame; only he and Henry Ford are enshrined in all three. He died in 1994 at the age of 103.
|
 |
Back to main Crawford Museum page
