Smith retired from American Airlines for the last time in , having served there longer than any other employee. Until his death he was active in philanthropy and art. Smith also never ceased being proud of his Texas roots. Smith died on April 4, , and was buried at Arlington National Cemetery. Richard H. Saunders, Collecting the West: The C. Robert J. Martin's-Marek, University Art Museum, Paintings from the C. He was followed by four sisters and two brothers.
Minnie, however, was not without ambition. She became a school teacher and active in politics, leading to acquaintances with people in high places—a tradition her son later perfected. By taking in boarders, enduring and scrimping, she made sure that all seven of her children received at least some college education. As the oldest man in the family, nine-year-old CR took a two-dollar-a-week job as an office boy for cattle baron C.
Later, as the chief of a major corporation, CR was also known to keep his boots up on his desk. And the life, lore, and art of the Old West remained a lifelong passion.
The Smith family moved to Whitney, Texas, where CR held a variety of odd jobs, including manual labor. When he was just sixteen, he was hired as a bookkeeper and teller for the First National Bank of Whitney at thirty dollars a month. A year later, he moved to Hillsboro, Texas, for higher pay at a cotton mill.
Despite never earning a high school diploma, CR was admitted on a probationary basis to the business school at the University of Texas in Austin now the McCombs School of Business, renowned for its accounting program.
He earned good grades and was president of his Junior Class. But he was also entrepreneurial. He copied the names and addresses of new parents, selling the lists to makers of baby products. Simultaneously, he took a part-time job as an examiner for the Federal Reserve Bank. With his diverse experience, CR was quickly hired as a junior accountant in the Dallas office of the large accounting firm of Peat, Marwick, Mitchell, and Company.
His skill, quick mind, and tireless efforts, however, soon led him to be assigned to some of the most diverse accounts: cigar factories, movie theaters, oil companies, and insurance companies. He then was promoted to senior accountant, specializing in the highly complex public utilities industry. Barrett, who headed the Texas—Louisiana Power Company.
Barrett hired him as assistant treasurer of the electric utility in Barrett also controlled the small Texas Air Transport, one of dozens of tiny airline startups around the United States.
In , Barrett asked his young accountant to take over the books for his airline business and watch over operations. But Barrett persisted, telling Smith to give it a try, and that he could return to the utility business if he did not like it. His pilot boss did not learn accounting, and soon found himself reporting to Smith instead of the other way around. To call the airline industry immature at that time would be an understatement. The St. Petersburg—Tampa Airboat line lasted four months, one winter tourist season.
At the time, not only were airplanes considered unsafe, but their average speed including refueling stops was about 75 mph, not much faster than express trains. Airfields only gradually added lights to allow night flying. So it was not until the early- and mids that any serious progress was made toward regular air service. Small airlines and flying schools were scattered around the country.
Many were funded by wealthy young men seeking thrills, in both travel and finance. Early backers included members of the Guggenheim, Whitney, and Rockefeller families. By the late s, the future of aviation was attracting Wall Street, not unlike the more recent infatuations with investments in the internet and marijuana. Investors wanted in on the ground floor, and bought companies that flew airplanes, taught pilots, made airplanes and parts, and operated airfields.
Among the first to act was Clement Keys, who in at the age of twenty-seven had become the railroad editor of the Wall Street Journal. Even the most powerful companies got interested in aviation: General Motors bought a controlling interest in North American in the s and Ford produced the famous tri-motor aircraft. While North American and United from the beginning aimed for a coast-to-coast system of airmail lines, AVCO was formed around a gaggle of small airlines whose routes did not even touch each other.
They included airlines with the ambitious names Transamerican and Universal. In the next few years, AVCO acquired enough airlines to piece together a coast-to-coast route, but to fly west from New York passengers first had to fly north to Albany, then south to Nashville before proceeding west to Dallas and Los Angeles. The small airlines of AVCO were separately run, with different flying rules and a huge range of aircraft types. Like the other two aviation holding companies, AVCO owned everything from flying schools to airplane parts makers.
Flying was only expected to be an alternative to trains for the rich and the brave. None of these companies believed an airline could make money on passengers alone. Brown, who oversaw the airmail contracts, which were the lifeblood of the industry, wanted to see a rational national system of well-financed, strong airlines.
Forcing mergers and re-allocations of routes among the airlines, Brown advocated three transcontinental routes: a northern route from New York to San Francisco via Cleveland, Chicago, and Cheyenne which went to United; a central route from the East Coast to Los Angeles via Pittsburgh and St.
When a reporter turned up what he believed were inappropriate actions on the part of Brown and the aviation companies, a Senate investigation was unleashed. While later historians question the validity of the politically motivated attacks on Brown and the airlines, the net result was the temptation to nationalize the airlines. Cooler heads prevailed, but carriage of the airmails was assigned to the US Army and its small air corps.
However, the army pilots did not have the experience of the airlines: twelve army pilots died in crashes within a few weeks. No airline that attended the maligned Spoils Conference could bid on airmail contracts, and no executive involved in the conference could participate in the industry.
In addition, the companies were required to separate aircraft manufacturing activities from airline operations. Finding a loophole in the legislation, the larger carriers simply changed their names, re-incorporated, and bid for their old routes. Fortunately for American, and for the future of the industry, CR Smith had not attended the Spoils Conference, and could remain in the industry.
As the above-described industry changes were taking place, there was a battle for control of AVCO. Cord, a very smart former automobile salesman who controlled the famous automakers Auburn, Cord, and Duesenberg, became interested in aviation and founded Century Airlines in the Midwest and Century Pacific on the West Coast. Cord was one of the very few investors who believed there was a future in carrying passengers. His airlines had no airmail contracts, yet were profitable while AVCO was losing millions of dollars.
Cord was upset that AVCO was badly run and losing money. But Smith had picked the wrong side. Unlike most competitors, these were roomy airplanes, which had enough space for sleeping berths, like those in a Pullman railroad car. Passengers loved them, despite the fact they tended to catch fire and were hard to fly. American had become the largest carrier, but CR wanted to make it the best. Have no complaints. Great job done to replace several windows, and two external doors.
Andy and Ryan were great, really friendly and the job was done to an excellent standard. Wendy Bailey. Margaret Guthrie. We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits.
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