Jake Swirbul
Encyclopedia
Leon A. "Jake" "The Bullfrog" Swirbul (March 18, 1898 – June 28, 1960), was an aviation pioneer and co-founder of Grumman Aircraft Engineering Corporation
.
Swirbul was born in the Yorkville section of Manhattan
. His family moved to Long Island
when he was a child. He grew up in Sag Harbor and graduated from Pierson High School. He attended Cornell University
until 1917 when he left school to enlist in the U.S. Marine Corps.
Jake Swirbul and Leroy Grumman
met in 1924 at Loening Aeronautical Engineering Co. in New York City
, one of the many small aircraft firms that sprang up after World War I
. When the firm's Manhattan factory was closed after its sale to Keystone Aircraft
in 1929, Swirbul and Grumman decided to form their own company. Grumman mortgaged his house to contribute $16,875, and Swirbul contributed $8,125. Two other Loening employees, William Schwendler and Edmund Ward Poor, contributed a little and former Wall Street
banker E. Clinton Towl made up the fifth employee of Grumman Aircraft Engineering Corporation, formed January 2, 1930.
Swirbul's management style complemented Grumman's engineering skill. The two men formed a close business partnership that fostered growth, managing to keep the company alive during the Great Depression
. As World War II
approached, Swirbul's contacts in the US Navy kept Grumman's production lines running, and his scalable management style is credited with Grumman's ability to ramp up production faster than any other company when war broke out, and to maintain higher profit margin
s than any other aircraft company throughout the war. Jake's management style was easy to emulate, but difficult to imitate. He had an innate sense of handling people and getting the most out of them, while treating them with respect and dignity. The huge production levels of WWII was proof of this dynamic. In the 40s and 50s, when Grumman had tens of thousands employees, Jake knew everybody's name. And if he didn't actually know yours-with his personnel style- you thought he did. In 1944, the Navy asked Grumman to slow production to 500 airplanes a month even though Swirbul said he could build 700 a month. In March, 1945, Grumman built a record 664 aircraft. Following the war, Swirbul effectively scaled down Grumman's operations so quickly that the company was the only American aviation company to post a profit in 1946. Jake always believed that going to see the boss was one of the hardest things a man could do. Jake kept his desk facing the open office door so he could see an employee approaching. The guy would usually stop before he got to the door, unsure if he should continue. Jake would then break the ice by calling out "You want to see me?"
Jake Swirbul died of pneumonia
while ill with colon cancer on June 28, 1960, shortly after Grumman began work on the Gemini program and one month after the roll-out ceremony for the A-6 Intruder
. His funeral was attended by thousands of Grumman employees. Jake was the greatest unsung industrialist and production manager in the world. If only he was around today.....
The Swirbul Library at Adelphi University
is named in his honor
Grumman Aircraft Engineering Corporation
The Grumman Aircraft Engineering Corporation, later Grumman Aerospace Corporation, was a leading 20th century U.S. producer of military and civilian aircraft...
.
Swirbul was born in the Yorkville section of Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
. His family moved to Long Island
Long Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
when he was a child. He grew up in Sag Harbor and graduated from Pierson High School. He attended Cornell University
Cornell University
Cornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
until 1917 when he left school to enlist in the U.S. Marine Corps.
Jake Swirbul and Leroy Grumman
Leroy Grumman
Leroy Randle "Roy" Grumman was an American aeronautical engineer, test pilot, and industrialist. In 1929, he co-founded Grumman Aeronautical Engineering Co. later to become Grumman Aerospace Corporation, now part of Northrop Grumman.-Early life:Born in Huntington, New York, Grumman's forebears had...
met in 1924 at Loening Aeronautical Engineering Co. in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, one of the many small aircraft firms that sprang up after World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. When the firm's Manhattan factory was closed after its sale to Keystone Aircraft
Keystone Aircraft
Keystone Aircraft Corporation was an early pioneer in airplane manufacturing. Headquartered in Bristol, Pennsylvania, it was formed as Ogdensburg Aeroway Corp in 1920 by Thomas Huff and Elliot Daland, but its name was quickly changed to Huff-Daland Aero Corp, then to the Huff-Daland Aero Company...
in 1929, Swirbul and Grumman decided to form their own company. Grumman mortgaged his house to contribute $16,875, and Swirbul contributed $8,125. Two other Loening employees, William Schwendler and Edmund Ward Poor, contributed a little and former Wall Street
Wall Street
Wall Street refers to the financial district of New York City, named after and centered on the eight-block-long street running from Broadway to South Street on the East River in Lower Manhattan. Over time, the term has become a metonym for the financial markets of the United States as a whole, or...
banker E. Clinton Towl made up the fifth employee of Grumman Aircraft Engineering Corporation, formed January 2, 1930.
Swirbul's management style complemented Grumman's engineering skill. The two men formed a close business partnership that fostered growth, managing to keep the company alive during the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
. As World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
approached, Swirbul's contacts in the US Navy kept Grumman's production lines running, and his scalable management style is credited with Grumman's ability to ramp up production faster than any other company when war broke out, and to maintain higher profit margin
Profit margin
Profit margin, net margin, net profit margin or net profit ratio all refer to a measure of profitability. It is calculated by finding the net profit as a percentage of the revenue.Net profit Margin = x100...
s than any other aircraft company throughout the war. Jake's management style was easy to emulate, but difficult to imitate. He had an innate sense of handling people and getting the most out of them, while treating them with respect and dignity. The huge production levels of WWII was proof of this dynamic. In the 40s and 50s, when Grumman had tens of thousands employees, Jake knew everybody's name. And if he didn't actually know yours-with his personnel style- you thought he did. In 1944, the Navy asked Grumman to slow production to 500 airplanes a month even though Swirbul said he could build 700 a month. In March, 1945, Grumman built a record 664 aircraft. Following the war, Swirbul effectively scaled down Grumman's operations so quickly that the company was the only American aviation company to post a profit in 1946. Jake always believed that going to see the boss was one of the hardest things a man could do. Jake kept his desk facing the open office door so he could see an employee approaching. The guy would usually stop before he got to the door, unsure if he should continue. Jake would then break the ice by calling out "You want to see me?"
Jake Swirbul died of pneumonia
Pneumonia
Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung—especially affecting the microscopic air sacs —associated with fever, chest symptoms, and a lack of air space on a chest X-ray. Pneumonia is typically caused by an infection but there are a number of other causes...
while ill with colon cancer on June 28, 1960, shortly after Grumman began work on the Gemini program and one month after the roll-out ceremony for the A-6 Intruder
A-6 Intruder
The Grumman A-6 Intruder was an American, twin jet-engine, mid-wing attack aircraft built by Grumman Aerospace. In service with the U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps between 1963 and 1997, the Intruder was designed as an all-weather medium attack aircraft to replace the piston-engined A-1 Skyraider...
. His funeral was attended by thousands of Grumman employees. Jake was the greatest unsung industrialist and production manager in the world. If only he was around today.....
The Swirbul Library at Adelphi University
Adelphi University
Adelphi University is a private, nonsectarian university located in Garden City, in Nassau County, New York, United States. It is the oldest institution of higher education on Long Island. For the sixth year, Adelphi University has been named a “Best Buy” in higher education by the Fiske Guide to...
is named in his honor