[xoxoxoBruce]

Born in Massachusetts in 1891, Crawford was educated at Harvard, receiving a Master's 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 Millwright's Helper, and began to work his way up the company's ladder.

Hear that kids? Masters degree from Harvard and started Millwright's helper!

Thompson Products Inc. was established in 1900, in Cleveland, Ohio, as the Cleveland Cap Screw Company. It began producing automotive parts and underwent several reorganizations, becoming the Electric Welding Products Company (1908), the Steel Products Company (1915), and Thompson Products Inc. (1926).

Mr. Crawford became general manager of the company's Cleveland plant in 1929, then the company's vice-president, and after the death of Charles Thompson in 1933, company president. 4 years from GM to president. Impressive.

He went up the ladder fast, probably because of his education as well as brains, but on the way up he learned the business and how the company works.

tw will now expound on why that's a good thing and unlike today's evil MBAs