Powel Crosley Jr. (September 18, 1886 – March 28, 1961) was an American inventor, industrialist, and entrepreneur. He and his brother Lewis were responsible for many "firsts" in consumer products and broadcasting. He was the builder of the Crosley automobiles. He was the owner of the Cincinnati Reds major league baseball team for many years. Crosley Field, a stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio, was renamed for him. The street-level main entrance to Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati is named Crosley Terrace in his honor.Crosley's Pinecroft estate and Seagate winter retreat, in Cincinnati and Sarasota, Florida respectively, have been restored.Youth, educationPowel Crosley Jr. was born in Cincinnati, Ohio to Charlotte and Powel Crosley, a lawyer. He completed his first year of high school in College Hill, after which the school closed. He transferred to the Ohio Military Institute, where he graduated in 1905. He attended the University of Cincinnati but dropped out after two years, obsessed with the mechanics of automobiles. The mass production techniques employed by Henry Ford also caught his attention and would be implemented by his brother, Lewis, when the two began manufacturing radios in 1921.
