Auburn University

In spring 1924, Theodore Poole Crane graduated from Auburn University (then known as Alabama Polytechnic Institute) with a degree in engineering and an activities resume that is impressive to this day. That young, ambitious man settled into an engineering career and family life in his hometown of Birmingham before making the ultimate sacrifice in World War II. Though he did not live to see it, Crane started a legacy of loyalty and service to Auburn that would last more than a century. Ã‚

This May, two of his great-grandsons, twin brothers Patrick and William Olmstead, graduate from Auburn’s Harbert College of Business, representing the fourth generation of Crane family members to graduate from Auburn.Â

“We’re just a fraction of the story,” said William Olmstead. “My great-grandfather has a remarkable story of service, character and love for Auburn. He was a hero and inspired all in our family to live up to his legacy. It’s a story worth sharing.”Â