And, now, you know the rest of the story

This Kansan's surname should be familiar.

KANSAS BIRTHDAY OF THE DAY-2 April

Walter Percy Chrysler was born on 2 April 1875 in Wamego, Pottawatomie County, Kansas to Henry C. “Hank” and Anna Marie “Mary” (Breyman) Chrysler. He was a pioneer in the automobile industry. Walter is best known as the founder of the Chrysler Corporation.

Walter’s father, Hank, was born in Chatham, Ontario, Canada. He immigrated to the Kansas City area sometime after 1858 and served in the Civil War. Hank was a locomotive engineer for the Kansas Pacific Railway and the Union Pacific Railroad. Walter grew up in Ellis, Ellis County, Kansas.

Walter began working as a machinist and railroad mechanic in his hometown of Ellis. He took correspondence courses from the International Correspondence Schools in Scranton, Pennsylvania. Eventually, Walter earned a mechanical degree from the program. Walter roamed the western part of the country for many years working for various railroads as a roundhouse mechanic where he earned a reputation of being good at setting valves. Some of these locations were Wellington, Sumner County, Kansas; Denver, Denver County, Colorado; and Cheyenne, Laramie County, Wyoming. Walter worked his way up to being a foreman in Trinidad, Las Animas County, Colorado. He later became a superintendent, division master mechanic, and general master mechanic.

From 1905 to 1906, Walter worked for the Fort Worth & Denver Railway in Childress, Childress County, Texas. He later lived and worked in Oelwein, Fayette County, Iowa where he operated the main shops for the Chicago Great Western Railroad. Later, a small park there was dedicated to Walter.

Walter reached the pinnacle of his railroading career in Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. He was the works manager of the Allegheny locomotive erecting shops for the American Locomotive Company (ALCO). While there, he lived in Bellevue, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. This was the first Pittsburgh suburb on the north side of the Ohio River.

In 1911, Walter received a call to meet with James J. Storrow. Storrow was a banker, but he was also the ALCO director. He asked Chrysler if he had given any thought to going into the automobile manufacturing business. Walter had been interested in cars for several years and Storrow arranged a meeting with him and Charles W. Nash, the president of Buick Motor Company.

Walter began his automobile career as the works manager in charge of production at the Buick plant in Flint, Genesee County, Michigan. He quickly found ways to reduce production costs. Walter also put an end to finishing undercarriages with the same quality of finish of observable areas.

In 1908, William C. Durant had founded General Motors. The company soon went into bankruptcy. In 1916, Durant took control of the company from the bankers. Walter Chrysler, who had close ties to the bankers, had submitted his resignation to Durant at his office in New York City.

Durant took the first train to Flint, Michigan to convince Walter to stay at the helm of Buick. He offered Walter the unheard sum of $10,000 a month (over $250,000 in 2020 dollars) for a three-year contract plus a bonus of $500,000 ($12.5 million in 2020 dollars) at the end of year or the equivalent in stock. Chrysler would report directly to Durant and there would be no interference from anyone. After asking Durant to repeat the offer, Chrysler accepted immediately.

At the end of the three years, Chrysler left because he did not believe in Durant’s vision for the future of General Motors. Durant paid Chrysler $10 million for his GM stock. Walter had begun at Buick in 1911 for $6,000 a year as a salary and left in 1919 as one of the richest men in America.

Some bankers hired Walter to turn around the Willys-Overland Motor Company in Toledo, Lucas County, Ohio. He requested a salary of $1 million per year for two years and he received it. Walter Chrysler left two years later after failing to take control of the company from its founder, John Willys.

Walter used his money to purchase the Maxwell Motor Company. He eventually phased its line of cars out and absorbed it into his new automobile business, Chrysler Corporation, based in Detroit, Wayne County, Michigan. In 1925, Chrysler was producing cars with his name on them as well as the brands, Plymouth and DeSoto. In 1928, Chrysler bought out the Dodge Brothers and renamed their line, Dodge.

In 1928, Chrysler began construction of the Chrysler Building in New York City. It was not completed until 1930. In 1928, Walter Chrysler was selected by Time magazine as their “Man of the Year.”

In 1923, Walter Crysler purchased a twelve-acre waterfront estate at Kings Point on Long Island, New York. He renamed it “Forker House.” In 1941, to was sold to the U.S. government and it became known as Wiley Hall as part of the United States Merchant Marine Academy.

Walter Chrysler also purchased property in Virginia. He built a country estate in Warrenton, Fauquier County, Virginia in the middle of “horse country.” It became home to the Warrenton Hunt. Walter also purchased and restored the Fauquier Sulphur Springs Company Resort & Spa in Warrenton. He sold it in 1953 but it remains a country club to this day.

In 1936, Walter Chrysler turned 61 years old and stepped down from an active role in his company. He remained as Chairman of the Board until his death. Only two years later, Walter’s wife (Della Viola Forker) died at the age of 58.

Walter was devastated with the death of his childhood sweetheart. He suffered a stroke and never recovered. Walter Chrysler died of a cerebral hemorrhage on 18 August 1940 at the age of 65 in Kings Point, Nassau County, New York. He is buried in the Sleepy Hollow Cemetery in Sleepy Hollow, Westchester County, New York. Walter was survived by four children: Thelma Irene Chrysler Foy (1902-1957); Bernice Chrysler Garbisch (1906-1979); Walter Percy Chrysler II (1909-1988); and John Forker “Jack” Chrysler (1912-1958).