Frank L. Crane (August 18, 1907 – December 25, 1973) was an American civil servant who served as the

North Carolina Commissioner of Labor The Commissioner of Labor is a statewide elected office in the U.S. state of North Carolina. The commissioner is a constitutional officer who leads the state's Department of Labor. North Carolina's general statues provide the commissioner with br ...

from June 3, 1954, to 1973.

Early life

Frank Crane was born on August 18, 1907, near Waxhaw, North Carolina, United States to James Thomas Crane and Mary Emma Lathan. He attended Marvin Elementary School, Weddington Institute, and Prospect High School, graduating from the latter in 1927. He earned a bachelor's degree from the

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States ...

in 1931. He then took courses at the university's summer school from 1931 to 1934 and attended classes in personnel management at

North Carolina State College North Carolina State University (NC State) is a public land-grant research university in Raleigh, North Carolina. Founded in 1887 and part of the University of North Carolina system, it is the largest university in the Carolinas. The university ...

in 1939. Crane married Edith Peacock on January 1, 1938. The two had no children and separated in 1961. Crane subsequently married Mary Browning Comer.

Career

From 1931 to 1934 Crane worked as an athletic instructor at Welcome High School in Davidson County. He then worked as the safety director for the North Carolina Industrial Commission until 1938, when he became an administrative assistant for the North Carolina Employment Service. In 1939 he was hired by the North Carolina Department of Labor as a factory wage and hour inspector. In 1941 Crane became Director of the department's Conciliation and Arbitration Division. On June 3, 1954, Crane was appointed by Governor William B. Umstead to serve as

, filling in a vacancy created by the death of the previous incumbent, Forrest H. Shuford. A member of the

Democratic Party Democratic Party most often refers to: *Democratic Party (United States) Democratic Party and similar terms may also refer to: Active parties Africa *Botswana Democratic Party *Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea *Gabonese Democratic Party *Demo ...

, he won election on November 2, 1954. He was reelected to a full four-year term in 1956 and was further reelected in 1960, 1964, and 1968. He declared his decision not to run again for office on January 18, 1972, citing "entirely personal" reasons. He supported William C. Creel's candidacy to succeed him. Crane held the record for longest tenure as North Carolina Labor Commissioner until he was surpassed by

Cherie Berry Nora Cherie Killian Berry (born December 21, 1946) is an American politician who served as the North Carolina Commissioner of Labor from 2001 to 2021. A member of the Republican Party, she was the first woman to hold the office. Early life Nora ...

in 2019. Crane suffered a heart attack while gardening at his home and subsequently died in the morning on December 25, 1973, at

Rex Hospital UNC Rex Hospital is a general hospital located in Raleigh, North Carolina. It is the capital city's oldest hospital, founded by a bequest from John T. Rex (1771-1839), a local tanner. Originally located on what is now Dorothea Dix campus, and ...

Raleigh, North Carolina Raleigh (; ) is the capital city of the state of North Carolina and the List of North Carolina county seats, seat of Wake County, North Carolina, Wake County in the United States. It is the List of municipalities in North Carolina, second-most ...

References

Works cited

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Crane, Frank 1907 births 1973 deaths North Carolina Commissioners of Labor North Carolina Democrats People from Waxhaw, North Carolina