Jake Swirbul facts for kids
Leon Albert "Jake" "The Bullfrog" Swirbul (born March 18, 1898 – died June 28, 1960) was a very important person in the early days of aviation. He was a co-founder of the famous Grumman Aircraft Engineering Corporation. This company built many important airplanes.
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Early Life and Education
Jake Swirbul was born in Manhattan, a part of New York City. His parents were immigrants from Latvia. When he was a child, his family moved to Long Island. He grew up in a town called Sag Harbor. Jake finished high school at Pierson High School. He then went to Cornell University. However, he left college in 1917 to join the U.S. Marine Corps.
Starting Grumman Aircraft
Jake Swirbul met Leroy Grumman in 1924. They both worked at a company called Loening Aeronautical Engineering Co. in New York City. This was one of many small airplane companies that started after World War I.
In 1929, the Loening company's factory closed. Jake and Leroy decided to start their own company. Leroy Grumman used his house as a guarantee to get money for the new business. Jake Swirbul also put in money. Two other employees from Loening, William Schwendler and Edmund Ward Poor, also helped. A former banker, E. Clinton Towl, became the fifth employee.
They officially formed Grumman Aircraft Engineering Corporation on January 2, 1930.
Jake's Role at Grumman
Jake Swirbul became the production manager at Grumman. This meant he was in charge of making the airplanes. He was very good at understanding how to build many airplanes quickly. This skill was super important during World War II. Grumman produced a huge number of planes for the war effort thanks to Jake's leadership.
After the war, Jake was also smart about slowing down production. This helped the company stay strong and survive. Jake was known as a "hands-on" manager. He liked to be out on the factory floor, talking to his workers. He treated them with friendship and respect. While Leroy Grumman was always called "Mr. Grumman," everyone called Jake simply "Jake." He would check on progress and chat with his team.
Because of Jake's smart management, Grumman was the only aircraft maker to start the 1950s in a strong financial position.
Later Years and Legacy
Jake Swirbul passed away on June 28, 1960, due to illness. This was shortly after Grumman started working on the Gemini program for space travel. It was also just one month after a new airplane, the A-6 Intruder, was shown to the public.
The Swirbul Library at Adelphi University is named in his honor.
