News Brief: Gustin, Crawford to discuss “giants of Flint history” at rescheduled event Feb. 6

By Jan Worth-Nelson

Two venerable former Flint Journal journalists, Lawrence Gustin and Kim Crawford, will join forces to talk about some of the giants of Flint history at 5 p.m. Feb. 6 at Totem Bookstore, 620 W. Court St. The free event was rescheduled from November, and then from Jan. 30, because of the weather.

Crawford, a long-time police reporter, feature writer and historian, wrote the only book about Jacob Smith, thought to be the first white settler of Flint.  Gustin, who left the Flint Journal to become a public relations director for Buick and in retirement has continued his love of writing about Flint history,  has written books about Billy Durant and David Buick.

A selection of books by both authors will be available at the event.  More information is available at 810-407-6402.

EVM staff writer Harold C. Ford wrote a review of Gustin’s revised David Buick book, found here.

As detailed on his Amazon.com biography, Gustin “has authored three critically acclaimed and award-winning books: Billy Durant: Creator of General Motors, the first biography of Durant, in 1973 (with an updated edition published by the University of Michigan Press in GM’s centennial year, 2008); The Buick: A Complete History, co-authored with Terry B. Dunham in six editions, five updated (1980-2003); and the first edition of this book in 2006. He launched a newspaper campaign to save a building in Flint that today is a National Historical Landmark, considered virtually the birthplace of General Motors, and helped create the Buick Gallery and Research Center at the Sloan Museum.”  In 2016 Gustin donated a major collection of General Motors memorabilia, included personal papers of Billy Durant, to the Sloan.

Jan Worth-Nelson can be reached at janworth1118@gmail.com.

Author: East Village Magazine

A Non-profit, Community News Magazine Since 1976

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