Clement Melville Keys
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Clement Melville Keys (1876-1952) who as a financier was involved with founding of aviation companies Curtiss-Wright, China National Aviation Corporation, North American Aviation and TWA.
Keys was born in Canada and attended Toronto University and taught classics there before becoming a reporter for the Wall Street Journal in 1901 where he became railroad editor. He formed an investment counseling firm C.M. Keys & Co. in 1911.
In 1916 he became an unpaid vice president for Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company and assumed controlling interest of the financially troubled company in 1920. The company merged with Wright Aeronautical in 1929 to form Curtiss-Wright and he was the new company's president.
In addition Keys was head of 26 other aviation companies including North American Aviation, China National Aviation Corporation, and Transcontinental Air Transport (which was to become TWA).
In 1932 he withdrew from the aviation business citing health reasons but continued to maintain his investment business.
