Arthur H. Crapsey

Arthur H. Crapsey, II was a ceramic design major at Alfred University, graduating in 1942. The University Archives recently received a framed charcoal drawing he completed in 1940. Arthur enjoyed creating original stage settings for the university’s performing arts theater productions, and acted in many of them as well. In addition to the drawing, the archive collection contains hundreds of slide images Arthur took of various AU productions after he graduated as well as some of his set designs. The Performing Arts Division today is the beneficiary of an endowed fund from him.
After graduation, Arthur joined the Air Force, joining the 306th Bomb Group. During a raid on Germany on Dec. 22, 1943, his aircraft was hit and he was injured, eventually losing his right leg due to an infection. He was awarded a silver star “for conspicuous gallantry in action against the enemy.” After leaving the Air Force as a first lieutenant in 1944, Arthur became one of Kodak’s first industrial designers and had a major and lasting influence on the company’s products. In 1972, Arthur was inducted into the “Academy of Fellows” of the Industrial Design Society of America.