Lear Siegler, Inc.
Organization
Historical Note
Lear Siegler, Incorporated was an avionics manufacturing company that began in 1962 after a merger between Lear, Inc. and Siegler Corporation.
Siegler Corporation was initially incorporated in December 1950 as Siegler Heating Company. After a merger in 1954 changed its name to Siegler Corporation. In early 1962, Siegler Corporation and Lear, Inc., Bill Lear’s aircraft radio manufacturing company, completed a merger becoming Lear Siegler, Incorporated (LSI). After that point, Bill Lear was no longer associated with the company.
Siegler President John G. Brooks became LSI’s Chairman and CEO. In 1964, he also served as President, a position he held until his death from a stroke in 1971. LSI was an early conglomerate with several acquisitions, initially focusing on the areas of aerospace-technology, automotive parts, and industrial-commercial manufacturing.
Due to the merger, the former Lear, Inc. Grand Rapids facility became the Instrument Division of LSI and corporate headquarters were relocated to California. The Instrument Division developed precision electronic instruments for aircraft, missile guidance systems, and space vehicles. Its primary product lines were aircraft reference, navigation and communication instrument systems; radio navigation systems; weapon delivery systems and ground support equipment. Their instruments were used in the U.S. space program, including on Gemini and Apollo missions.
During the 1980s, product highlights were performance data computer systems and the flight management computer system. In 1986, the ID merged with Avionic System Division to form Lear Siegler, Inc., Instrument and Avionic Systems Corporation. A year later it was sold to Smiths Industries, a British aerospace and industrial products company.
As of 2014, LSI still existed as a part of URS Corporation.
Siegler Corporation was initially incorporated in December 1950 as Siegler Heating Company. After a merger in 1954 changed its name to Siegler Corporation. In early 1962, Siegler Corporation and Lear, Inc., Bill Lear’s aircraft radio manufacturing company, completed a merger becoming Lear Siegler, Incorporated (LSI). After that point, Bill Lear was no longer associated with the company.
Siegler President John G. Brooks became LSI’s Chairman and CEO. In 1964, he also served as President, a position he held until his death from a stroke in 1971. LSI was an early conglomerate with several acquisitions, initially focusing on the areas of aerospace-technology, automotive parts, and industrial-commercial manufacturing.
Due to the merger, the former Lear, Inc. Grand Rapids facility became the Instrument Division of LSI and corporate headquarters were relocated to California. The Instrument Division developed precision electronic instruments for aircraft, missile guidance systems, and space vehicles. Its primary product lines were aircraft reference, navigation and communication instrument systems; radio navigation systems; weapon delivery systems and ground support equipment. Their instruments were used in the U.S. space program, including on Gemini and Apollo missions.
During the 1980s, product highlights were performance data computer systems and the flight management computer system. In 1986, the ID merged with Avionic System Division to form Lear Siegler, Inc., Instrument and Avionic Systems Corporation. A year later it was sold to Smiths Industries, a British aerospace and industrial products company.
As of 2014, LSI still existed as a part of URS Corporation.
Found in 2 Collections and/or Records:
Series III. Lear, Incorporated, 1930-1965, 1999, undated
Series
Scope and Contents: Lear, Incorporated
Series III: Lear, Incorporated documents the company business primarily focused on the years 1944-1962, although there are both earlier and later dates represented. This section reflects the company’s focus on navigational instruments for aircraft, as well as innovations in home recording and radio. Also well-represented is WPL’s re-design of the Lockheed Lodestar into his desired vision for executive air transport, the Learstar. Less well-represented is the 1962...
Series XVI. Related Companies, 1961-2000, undated
Series
Scope and Contents: Related Companies
The final series of the collection is Related Companies. The focus is primarily on companies that were originally founded by WPL but due to mergers or sales lost their direct affiliation with WPL’s companies. The exception is the final series, Lear Archives, which maintains a direct connection to WPL and his career. The Related Companies series has been divided by company, which are listed in chronological order of their existence and connection to Lear...
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