Winthrop M. Crane

Winthrop Murray Crane
United States Senator from Massachusetts
In office October 12, 1904 – March 3, 1913
Preceded by	George F. Hoar
Succeeded by	John W. Weeks
40th Governor of Massachusetts
In office January 4, 1900 – January 8, 1903
Lieutenant	John L. Bates
Preceded by	Roger Wolcott
Succeeded by	John L. Bates
37th Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts
In office 1897–1900
Governor	Roger Wolcott
Preceded by	Roger Wolcott
Succeeded by	John L. Bates
Personal details
Born	(1853-04-23)April 23, 1853 Dalton, Massachusetts
Died	October 2, 1920(1920-10-02) (aged 67) Dalton, Massachusetts
Political party	Republican
Spouse(s)	Mary Benner (1880—84) Josephine Porter Boardman (1884—1920)
Children	Winthrop Murray Crane II Stephen Crane Bruce Crane Louise Crane
Signature

Winthrop Murray Crane (commonly referred to as W. Murray Crane or simply Murray Crane; April 23, 1853 – October 2, 1920) was an American businessman and Republican Party politician who served as the 40th governor of Massachusetts from 1900 to 1903 and represented that state in the United States Senate from 1904 to 1913.

In 1879, he secured his family company, paper manufacturer Crane & Co., an exclusive government contract to supply the paper for United States currency, a monopoly the company holds to this day. During the 1890s he became increasingly active in state Republican politics, and became a dominant figure in the local, state, and national party. He was successively elected the 37th lieutenant governor of Massachusetts (in 1896) and 40th governor (in 1899). In 1904, he was appointed to the United States Senate and served until 1913.

Crane advised Presidents Theodore Roosevelt and William Howard Taft. His success as Governor in defusing a Teamsters strike prompted Roosevelt to bring him in as a negotiator to resolve the Coal Strike of 1902. He refused repeated offers for cabinet-level positions and was known to dislike campaigning and giving speeches. Near the end of his career, he served as a political mentor to future President Calvin Coolidge, who was elected vice president one month after Crane's death.