Walter Chrysler
Walter Percy Chrysler (b. April 2, 1875, in Wamego, Kansas — d. August 18, 1940, in Great Neck, New York) was a self-taught engineer who founded and led Chrysler Corporation to immense success in the first half of the 20th century.[1] Chrysler rejected his father's insistence that he attend college, specifically Quincy College in Illinois, and instead Walter Chrysler pursued his dream of becoming a machine shop apprentice.
From his humble Midwestern beginnings, Chrysler became one of the wealthiest men in the world and the visionary behind the construction of the eponymous Chrysler Building in New York City.
In 1928, Chrysler was Time magazine's Man of the Year.
In 1937, Chrysler published his superb inspiring autobiography entitled, Life of an American Workman.
Legacy
At least two of Walter Chrysler's children became art collectors. His second daughter, Bernice Chrysler Garbisch (1907–1979), was married in 1930 to Colonel Edgar William Garbisch (1899–1979), who was a former football player and a corporate executive. They settled at Eastern Shore, Maryland, where they resided at the "Pokety Farms." She and her husband died on the very same day in Cambridge, Massachusetts.[2]
Walter's eldest son, Walter Jr., became an avid art collector of Picasso and other treasures. He dropped out of Dartmouth College after only two years, during which he would sponsor social gatherings to discuss art. He married the top socialite of New York City, but it is thought that their marriage was never consummated and his wife obtained a divorce in Reno, Nevada merely 18 months later.[3]
Home and Museum
His boyhood home in Ellis, Kansas, is preserved and welcomes visitors.[4]
