Alexander McCormick Sturm

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Alexander McCormick "Sandy" Sturm (1923-13 November 1951) was an American artist and writer who was a co-founder of Sturm, Ruger, a firearms manufacturer. Sturm was well-connected, being the son of sculptor Justin Sturm, and the nephew of World War I flier Alexander McCormick, Jr.^[1]^[2]

As a writer and artist, he was, during his life, perhaps best known for his two popular illustrated children's books, The Problem Fox and From Ambush to Zig-zag, both published before he graduated from Yale, and for his playboy bon vivant lifestyle among the rich and famous.

Sturm married Paulina Longworth, the daughter of Congressman Nicholas Longworth and Alice Roosevelt in 1944. They had a daughter, Joanna Sturm.^[2]

He is perhaps best known today for his $50,000 seed-money investment in co-founding Sturm, Ruger & Company in 1949, that was prompted by his interest in guns and his friendship with William B. Ruger. Ruger provided the technical know-how; Sturm provided the Germanic heraldic-based red eagle logo and all of the financial backing necessary for starting the fledgling firearms business.

Because of severe asthma, Sturm was unable to serve in the military in World War II. Always sickly, Alexander Sturm became seriously ill in 1951 with hepatitis and died suddenly and unexpectedly. The Sturm, Ruger trademark, which had been a red eagle, was changed to a black eagle by his friend Bill Ruger to mourn the death of his business partner.

Following his death, his wife, Paulina Longworth Sturm, died of a drug overdose in 1957. Their daughter Joanna Sturm was raised by her grandmother Alice Roosevelt Longworth, who was the daughter of President Theodore Roosevelt.

[edit] References

^ "Miss McCormick and Justin Sturm Will Be Wed on June 24," Chicago Daily Tribune, June 14, 1922; "Chicago Flier Dies in Battle, Another in Fall," Chicago Daily Tribune, October 1, 1918.
^ ^a ^b "Justin Sturm, Sculptor and Author, Dies," Chicago Tribune, August 8, 1967.