George A. Croft Collection

George Albert Croft was born May 13, 1892, attended grammar school at the Lewis School in Ogden, Utah, and graduated from the Weber Stake Academy in 1911. He pursued a high school course which prepared him to enter the Engineering School at the University of Utah where he enrolled in September 1912. He withdrew later that year due to rheumatic fever. He spent another year working to assist his widowed mother. He re-enrolled at the University of Utah in 1914, but left a year later during the controversy over the administration of Joseph S. Kingsbury.

He transfered to Utah State Agricultural College in Logan in September 1915, where he was introduced Professor L. R. Humphreys of the farm mechanics department and studied automotive electricity and equipment. He worked during 1917-1918 as an instructor in farm machinery laboratory. Following his graduation in 1918, he served his enlistment in the U.S. Army by training army recruits sent to the USAC for classes in auto mechanics.

In August 1919, he was hired to teach auto mechanics, machine work, forging, and algebra at the Branch Agricultural College (BAC) in Cedar City, Utah. His titles at the BAC included instructor in ironwork and instructor in machine, automobile, and tractor. Five years later he became the head of the Department of Mechanic Arts. And stayed in that role until 1930.

During his first few years in Cedar City, Croft was involved in many community projects and side businesses.

During the summers of 1921 to 1923, Croft worked for International Harvester Company. He traveled over northern Utah, Idaho, and western Wyoming assembling combine harvesters and teaching new owners how to use them for harvesting wheat.

Croft, along with Arthur Morris, organized the first successful Boy Scout troop in Cedar City during 1923 and served as scoutmasters for a period of years.

Also, in 1923, when the the Utah Parks Company (UPC) was founded Croft began working during the summer as a supervisor for UPC. He installed a diesel-operated electric power plant at Bryce Canyon and operated it for two summer seasons. During the summer of 1928, he was employed as manager of the hydroelectric power plant in Bright Angel Canyon adjacent to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. He and a five-man crew operated the various machines and finished construction on the plant.

He resigned from the BAC faculty in 1930 and became the year-round supervisor of maintenance for the Utah Parks Company, a position he held until he was seventy years old. As the company grew, his responsibilities increased until he had charge of all company property in the parks and Cedar City, including new construction. He retired in June 1962. He was an active member of the Sons of Utah Pioneers. He died in Cedar City on May 12, 1973.