Henry Crapo Durant

A boy born into a wealthy family, a multi-millionaire, and a reckless investor, many people would assume William Crapo Durant was much like the shrewd and cut throat entrepreneurs associated with his times. He was not. Instead Durant became a captain of industry thanks to his boundless enthusiasm and charm. He dominated meetings with intensity when dealing with top businessmen of his time, and in turn was noted as being a gentle and compassionate individual when interacting with everyday folk. His most notable business venture was without a doubt the creation of the largest industrial operation in the history of the world, General Motors. William Crapo Durant changed the face of Michigan starting in the late nineteenth century and his effects are still prevalent today. He is not remembered as well as other auto industry leaders such as Ford and Chrysler due to the fact the car that bore his name was unsuccessful, and that he died without enough funds to institute beneficial organizations such as Henry Ford Hospital or the Mott Foundation. Despite this Durant was one of the most influential businessmen of his time, and he remains historically significant in both Michigan and the nation’s history. William Crapo Durant was born December 8th, 1861 to Rebecca Crapo, the daughter of Michigan Governor Henry Crapo, and William Clark Durant a man who met and began courting Rebecca as a clerk for a bank which she frequented. The couple had two children, Rebecca, who they called Rosa, and William, who they called Willie. The marriage unfortunately ended rather quickly due to Willie’s father being a drunk who did little to provide for the family. In a letter to Rebecca’s brother, her father wrote about her drunken husband saying, “His mind now seems to run into going into some saloon, where he thinks that he can make piles of money… He can’t think of any business worthy of his attention unless it has speculation, not to say gambling in it, or what is equally captivating to