Cyrus Rowlett Smith

Cyrus Rowlett Smith, universally known as C.R. Smith, was a Texas-born businessman and aviation visionary who served as president and CEO of American Airlines from 1934 to 1968 and again briefly in 1973-1974. Born in Minerva, Texas in 1899, Smith initially built a career in accounting and banking before entering the aviation industry through a Texas-based carrier that was absorbed into American's predecessor. His greatest achievements included commissioning the Douglas DC-3, launching the Admirals Club lounge concept, overseeing the development of the Sabre reservation system, and building American into the largest U.S. Domestic airline of the postwar era.

C.R. Smith's tenure at American Airlines from 1934 to 1968 represents the defining era of the company's commercial and operational development. Under his leadership, American Airlines became the launch customer for the Douglas DC-3, introduced the first coast-to-coast sleeper service, created the airport lounge concept with the Admirals Club in 1939, and launched the Sabre computerized reservation system in partnership with IBM in the early 1960s. Smith left American Airlines during World War II to serve as a Brigadier General organizing the Air Transport Command before returning to civilian aviation leadership. He received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1964, and Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport's original terminal complex was named in his honor. His partnership with Donald Douglas to develop the DC-3 is widely credited with making commercial aviation economically viable without government mail subsidies, reshaping the entire American transportation landscape in the process.