William C. Durant

For the historian William James Durant, see Will Durant.
William C. Durant
Born
William Crapo Durant

(1861-12-09)December 9, 1861
Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
DiedMarch 18, 1947(1947-03-18) (aged 85)
New York City, U.S.
OccupationBusinessman
Known forCo-founder of General Motors and Chevrolet
Spouses
Clara Miller Pitt
​
(divorced)​
[1]
  • Catherine Lederer (1886–1947)[2]
ChildrenMargery Pitt Durant (1887–1969)[3]
Russell Clifford Durant (1890–1937)

William Crapo Durant (December 8, 1861 – March 18, 1947) was a leading pioneer of the United States automobile industry, founder of General Motors and co-founder of Chevrolet. He created a system in which a company held multiple marques – each seemingly independent, with different automobile lines – bound under a unified corporate holding company. Durant founded General Motors and co-founded Chevrolet with Louis Chevrolet. He also founded Frigidaire.

  1. ^ "Invisible Manor History: Early Owner". Archived from the original on 8 May 2011. Retrieved 16 February 2015.
  2. ^ "University of Michigan-Flint: Henry Howland Crapo Family". Retrieved 16 February 2015.
  3. ^ "GW and Foggy Bottom Historical Encyclopedia: Margery Durant". Archived from the original on 16 February 2015. Retrieved 16 February 2015.