Walter Percy Chrysler (April 2, 1875 – August 18, 1940) was an American industrial pioneer in the automotive industry,
American automotive industry executive
Executive ( exe., exec., execu.) may refer to:
Role or title
* Executive, a senior management role in an organization
** Chief executive officer (CEO), one of the highest-ranking corporate officers (executives) or administrators
** Executive dir ...
and the founder and namesake of American
Chrysler Corporation.
Early life
Chrysler was born in
Wamego, Kansas
Wamego is a city in Pottawatomie County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 4,841.
History
Wamego was platted in 1866. It was named for a Potawatomi Native American chief.
The first post office in ...
, the son of Anna Maria Chrysler (née Breymann) and Henry Chrysler. He grew up in
Ellis, Kansas
Ellis is a city in Ellis County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 1,958.
History
The Kansas Pacific Railway built a water station at the site of present-day Ellis in 1867 and then purchased the ...
, where today his boyhood home is a museum. His father was born in
Chatham, Ontario, in 1850 and immigrated to the United States after 1858. A
Freemason,
[.] Chrysler began his career as a
machinist and
railroad
Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a pre ...
mechanic
A mechanic is an artisan, skilled tradesperson, or technician who uses tools to build, maintain, or repair machinery, especially cars.
Duties
Most mechanics specialize in a particular field, such as auto body mechanics, air conditioning an ...
in Ellis. He took correspondence courses from
International Correspondence Schools
ICS Learn, also known as International Correspondence Schools Ltd, is a provider of online learning courses in the UK. It was founded in 1889 in Scranton, Pennsylvania. The UK branch was set up in 1904, and it now serves around 25,000 current stu ...
in Scranton, Pennsylvania, earning a mechanical degree from the correspondence program.
Ancestry
Walter Chrysler's father, Henry (Hank) Chrysler, was a
Canadian-American
Canadian Americans is a term that can be applied to American citizens whose ancestry is wholly or partly Canadian, or citizens of either country that hold dual citizenship.
The term ''Canadian'' can mean a nationality or an ethnicity. Canadia ...
of German and Dutch ancestry. He was an
American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...
veteran who was a
locomotive engineer for the
Kansas Pacific Railway and its successor, the
Union Pacific Railroad
The Union Pacific Railroad , legally Union Pacific Railroad Company and often called simply Union Pacific, is a freight-hauling railroad that operates 8,300 locomotives over routes in 23 U.S. states west of Chicago and New Orleans. Union Paci ...
. Walter's mother was born in
Rocheport, Missouri
Rocheport is a city in Boone County, Missouri, United States. It is part of the Columbia, Missouri Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 239 at the 2010 census. Rocheport includes the Rocheport Historic District, an area with buildi ...
, and was also of
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
** Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ge ...
ancestry. Walter Chrysler was not especially interested in his remote ancestors; his collaborative author Boyden Sparkes says that one genealogical researcher reported "that he had a sea-going
Dutchman among his forebears; one Captain Jan Gerritsen Van Dalsen", but that "as to that, Walter Chrysler made it plain to me he was in accord with
Jimmy Durante: 'Ancestors? I got millions of 'em!'." However, he thought enough of genealogy to include in his autobiography that his father, Hank Chrysler, "Canadian born, had been brought from
Chatham, Ontario, to Kansas City when he was only five or six. His forebears had founded Chatham; the family stock was
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
** Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ge ...
; eight generations back of me there had come to America one who spelled his name Greisler, a
German Palatine
Palatines (german: Pfälzer), also known as the Palatine Dutch, are the people and princes of Palatinates ( Holy Roman principalities) of the Holy Roman Empire. The Palatine diaspora includes the Pennsylvania Dutch and New York Dutch.
In 1 ...
. He was one of a group of
Protestants who had left their German homeland in the
Rhine Valley
), Surselva, Graubünden, Switzerland
, source1_coordinates=
, source1_elevation =
, source2 = Rein Posteriur/Hinterrhein
, source2_location = Paradies Glacier, Graubünden, Switzerland
, source2_coordinates=
, source ...
, gone to the
Netherlands
)
, anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau")
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands
, established_title = Before independence
, established_date = Spanish Netherl ...
, thence to England and embarked, finally, from
Plymouth for New York."
Other researchers have since traced his ancestors in more detail. Karin Holl's monograph on the subject traces the family tree to a Johann Philipp Kreißler, born in 1672, who left Germany for America in 1709. Chrysler's ancestors came from the
Rhineland-Palatinate
Rhineland-Palatinate ( , ; german: link=no, Rheinland-Pfalz ; lb, Rheinland-Pfalz ; pfl, Rhoilond-Palz) is a western state of Germany. It covers and has about 4.05 million residents. It is the ninth largest and sixth most populous of the ...
town of
Guntersblum. His family belongs to
Old Stock Americans
Old Stock Americans, Pioneer Stock, or Colonial Stock are Americans who are descended from the original settlers of the Thirteen Colonies of mostly British ancestry who emigrated to British America in the 17th and the 18th centuries.
These Old ...
.
Railroad career
Chrysler apprenticed in the railroad shops at Ellis as a
machinist and railroad mechanic. He then spent a period of years roaming the west, working for various railroads as a
roundhouse mechanic with a reputation of being good at
valve-setting jobs. Chrysler moved frequently, first to
Wellington, Kansas
Wellington is a city in and the county seat of Sumner County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 7,715.
History
19th century
Wellington was platted in 1871 and named for the Duke of Wellington. It w ...
, in 1897, then to
Denver, Colorado
Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...
for two weeks, and finally
Cheyenne, Wyoming
Cheyenne ( or ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Wyoming, as well as the county seat of Laramie County, Wyoming, Laramie County, with 65,132 residents, per the 2020 US Census. It is the principal city of the Cheyenne ...
. Some of his moves were due to restlessness and a quick temper, but his roaming was also a way to become more well-rounded in his railroad knowledge. He worked his way up through positions such as foreman in
Trinidad, Colorado
Trinidad is the home rule municipality that is the county seat and the most populous municipality of Las Animas County, Colorado, United States. The population was 8,329 as of the 2020 census. Trinidad lies north of Raton, New Mexico, and s ...
, superintendent, division master mechanic, and general master mechanic.
From 1905 to 1906, Chrysler worked for the
Fort Worth and Denver Railway in
Childress in
West Texas
West Texas is a loosely defined region in the U.S. state of Texas, generally encompassing the arid and semiarid lands west of a line drawn between the cities of Wichita Falls, Abilene, and Del Rio.
No consensus exists on the boundary betwee ...
. He later lived and worked in
Oelwein, Iowa
Oelwein is a city in Fayette County, Iowa, United States. The population was 5,920 at the time of the 2020 census, a decrease of 11.5% from the 2000 census. The largest community in Fayette County, it is located at the junction of State Highways ...
, at the main shops of the
Chicago Great Western
The Chicago Great Western Railway was a Class I railroad that linked Chicago, Minneapolis, Omaha, and Kansas City. It was founded by Alpheus Beede Stickney in 1885 as a regional line between St. Paul and the Iowa state line called the Minnesota ...
where there is a small park dedicated to him.
The pinnacle of his railroading career came at
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Western Pennsylvania, the second-most populous city in Pennsylva ...
, where he became works manager of the Allegheny locomotive erecting shops of the
American Locomotive Company (Alco). While working in Pittsburgh, Chrysler lived in the town of
Bellevue Bellevue means "beautiful view" in French. It may refer to:
Placenames
Australia
* Bellevue, Western Australia
* Bellevue Hill, New South Wales
* Bellevue, Queensland
* Bellevue, Glebe, an historic house in Sydney, New South Wales
Canada ...
the first town outside of Pittsburgh on the north side of the Ohio River.
Automotive career
Chrysler's automotive career began in 1911 when he received a summons to meet with
James J. Storrow, a banker who was a director of
Alco
The American Locomotive Company (often shortened to ALCO, ALCo or Alco) was an American manufacturer of locomotives, diesel generators, steel, and tanks that operated from 1901 to 1969. The company was formed by the merger of seven smaller locomo ...
. Storrow asked him if he had given any thought to automobile manufacture. Chrysler had been an auto enthusiast for over five years by then, and was very interested. Storrow arranged a meeting with
Charles W. Nash, then president of the
Buick Motor Company
Buick () is a division (business), division of the United States, American automobile manufacturer General Motors (GM). Started by automotive pioneer David Dunbar Buick in 1899, it was among the first American Brand, marques of automobiles, and w ...
, who was looking for a smart production chief. Chrysler, who had resigned from many railroading jobs over the years, made his final resignation from railroading to become works manager (in charge of production) at Buick in
Flint, Michigan. He found many ways to reduce the costs of production, such as putting an end to finishing automobile undercarriages with the same luxurious quality of finish that the body warranted.
In 1916,
William C. Durant
William Crapo Durant (December 8, 1861 – March 18, 1947) was a leading pioneer of the United States automobile industry and co-founder of General Motors and Chevrolet. He created a system in which a company held multiple marques – each s ...
, who founded
General Motors in 1908, had retaken GM from bankers who had taken over the company. Chrysler, who was closely tied to the bankers, submitted his resignation to Durant, then based in New York City.
Durant took the first train to Flint to make an attempt to keep Chrysler at the helm of Buick. Durant made the then-unheard of salary offer of US$10,000 ($250,000 in 2020 dollars) a month for three years, with a US$500,000 ($12.5 million in 2020 dollars) bonus at the end of each year, or US$500,000 in stock. Additionally, Chrysler would report directly to Durant, and would have full run of Buick without interference from anyone. Apparently in shock, Chrysler asked Durant to repeat the offer, which he did. Chrysler immediately accepted.
Chrysler ran Buick successfully for three more years. Not long after his three-year contract was up, he resigned from his job as president of Buick in 1919. He did not agree with Durant's vision for the future of General Motors. Durant paid Chrysler US$10 million for his GM stock. Chrysler had started at Buick in 1911 for US$6,000 ($160,000 in 2020 dollars) a year, and left one of the richest men in the United States. GM replaced Chrysler with
Harry H. Bassett a protege who had risen through the ranks at the Weston-Mott axle manufacturing company, by then a subsidiary of
Buick.
Chrysler was then hired to attempt a turnaround by bankers who foresaw the loss of their investment in
Willys-Overland Motor Company in
Toledo, Ohio
Toledo ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Lucas County, Ohio, United States. A major Midwestern United States port city, Toledo is the fourth-most populous city in the state of Ohio, after Columbus, Cleveland, and Cincinnati, and according ...
. He demanded, and received, a salary of US$1 million a year for two years, an astonishing amount at that time. When Chrysler left Willys in 1921 after an unsuccessful attempt to wrestle control from
John Willys
John is a common English name and surname:
* John (given name)
* John (surname)
John may also refer to:
New Testament
Works
* Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John
* First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John
* Second ...
, he acquired a controlling interest in the ailing
Maxwell Motor Company
Maxwell was an American automobile manufacturer which ran from about 1904 to 1925. The present-day successor to the Maxwell company was Chrysler (currently, "Stellantis North America"), which acquired the company in 1925.
History Maxwell-Briscoe ...
. Chrysler phased out Maxwell and absorbed it into his new firm, the
Chrysler Corporation, in
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at ...
, in 1925. In addition to his namesake car company,
Plymouth and
DeSoto marque
A brand is a name, term, design, symbol or any other feature that distinguishes one seller's good or service from those of other sellers. Brands are used in business, marketing, and advertising for recognition and, importantly, to create an ...
s were created, and in 1928 Chrysler purchased Dodge Brothers and renamed it
Dodge. The same year he financed the construction of the
Chrysler Building
The Chrysler Building is an Art Deco skyscraper on the East Side of Manhattan in New York City, at the intersection of 42nd Street and Lexington Avenue in Midtown Manhattan. At , it is the tallest brick building in the world with a steel fra ...
in
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...
, which was completed in 1930. Chrysler was named
''Time'' magazine's
Man of the Year for 1928.
He was inducted into the
Automotive Hall of Fame
The Automotive Hall of Fame is an American museum. It was founded in 1939 and has over 800 worldwide honorees. It is part of the MotorCities National Heritage Area. the Automotive Hall of Fame includes persons who have contributed greatly to a ...
in 1967.
Later years
In 1923, Chrysler purchased from
Henri Willis Bendel a waterfront estate at
Kings Point on
Long Island,
New York, and renamed it 'Forker House'. In December 1941, the property was sold to the U.S. government's War Shipping Department and became known as Wiley Hall as part of the
United States Merchant Marine Academy
The United States Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA or Kings Point) is a United States service academy in Kings Point, New York. It trains its midshipmen (as students at the academy are called) to serve as officers in the United States Merchant ...
.
Chrysler also built a country estate in
Warrenton, Virginia
Warrenton is a town in Fauquier County, Virginia, of which it is the seat of government. The population was 9,611 at the 2010 census, up from 6,670 at the 2000 census. The estimated population in 2019 was 10,027. It is at the junction of U.S. R ...
, in what is referred to as the
Virginia
Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...
horse country and home to the Warrenton Hunt. In 1934, he purchased and undertook a major restoration of the famous Fauquier White Sulphur Springs Company resort and spa in Warrenton. Sold in 1953, the property was developed as a country club, which it remains today.
On the estate he inherited,
Walter P. Chrysler Jr.
Walter Percy Chrysler Jr. (March 27, 1909 – September 17, 1988) was an American art collector, museum benefactor, and collector of other objects such as stamps, rare books, and glassworks. He was also a theatre and film producer.
Early lif ...
established North Wales Stud for the purpose of
breeding
Breeding is sexual reproduction that produces offspring, usually animals or plants. It can only occur between a male and a female animal or plant.
Breeding may refer to:
* Animal husbandry, through selected specimens such as dogs, horses, and ra ...
Thoroughbred
The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed. Thoroughbreds are ...
horses. Chrysler Jr. was part of a syndicate that included his friend
Alfred Gwynne Vanderbilt Jr., who in 1940 acquired the 1935
English Triple Crown winner
Bahram from the
Aga Khan III
Sultan Muhammad Shah (2 November 187711 July 1957), commonly known by his religious title Aga Khan III, was the 48th Imam of the Nizariyya. He played an important role in British Indian politics.
Born to Aga Khan II in Karachi, Aga Khan II ...
. Bahram stood at stud at Vanderbilt's
Sagamore Farm
Sagamore Farm is an American Thoroughbred horse breeding farm on Belmont Avenue in Reisterstown, Maryland. Established in 1925, it was owned by Isaac Edward Emerson of Baltimore, who assembled the property as a gift for his daughter, Margaret. A ...
in
Maryland
Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...
, then was brought to Chrysler Jr.'s North Wales Stud.
Chrysler turned 61 in the spring of 1936 and stepped down from an active role in the day-to-day business of the company. Two years later, his wife died at the age of 58 and Chrysler, devastated by the loss of his childhood sweetheart, suffered a
stroke. His previously robust health never recovered from this, and he succumbed to a
cerebral hemorrhage in August 1940 at Forker House in Kings Point, New York. He was buried at
Sleepy Hollow Cemetery
Sleepy Hollow Cemetery in Sleepy Hollow, New York, is the final resting place of numerous famous figures, including Washington Irving, whose 1820 short story " The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" is set in the adjacent burying ground at the Old Dutch ...
in
Sleepy Hollow, New York.
See also
*
Carl Breer
*
Owen Ray Skelton
Owen Ray Skelton (February 9, 1886 – July 20, 1969) was an American automotive industry engineer and automobile designer. Along with Fred M. Zeder and Carl Breer, he was one of the core group who formed the present day Chrysler Corporation. ...
*
Frederick Morrell Zeder
Frederick Morrell Zeder (March 19, 1886 – February 24, 1951) was an American automotive industry engineer and a member of the Automotive Hall of Fame. He made material contributions to Allis-Chalmers (industrial machinery) and Studebaker (p ...
*
The Three Musketeers (Studebaker engineers)
The Three Musketeers is a nickname given to a team of three Studebaker engineers, Frederick Morrell Zeder, Owen Ray Skelton, and Carl Breer. They would become instrumental in the founding of the Chrysler Corporation, and were hand-picked by ...
References
Bibliography
*
*
*
*
External links
*
Photo of the Bendel Estate at Kings Point"The Man Who Bet His Dreams" ''
Popular Mechanics
''Popular Mechanics'' (sometimes PM or PopMech) is a magazine of popular science and technology, featuring automotive, home, outdoor, electronics, science, do-it-yourself, and technology topics. Military topics, aviation and transportation o ...
'', August 1932, pp. 194–198
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Chrysler, Walter
1875 births
1940 deaths
American automotive engineers
American founders of automobile manufacturers
American people in rail transportation
American people of Canadian descent
American people of Dutch descent
American people of German descent
American automotive pioneers
American Freemasons
American chief executives in the automobile industry
Chrysler executives
Machinists
Mechanics (trade)
People from Warrenton, Virginia
People from Wamego, Kansas
Burials at Sleepy Hollow Cemetery
Buick
General Motors former executives
People from Kings Point, New York
People from Ellis County, Kansas
Engineers from New York (state)
Engineers from Virginia
Automotive businesspeople
Chrysler people
Time Person of the Year