Cross

America's oldest manufacturer of fine writing instruments was established in 1846. Manufacturing in the Providence, RI, facility first was limited to elegantly tooled gold and silver casings for wooden pencils.

With more than 21 registered patents, the A. T. Cross Company soon developed and marketed many important "firsts" in the field of writing instruments. These include the propel-repel mechanical pencil, a forerunner of today's mechanical pencils, and the Stylographic pen, the precursor of the ball-point pen by more than 70 years.

The company was sold in 1916 to Walter R. Boss, who later brought his sons Ellery (in the 1920s) and W. Russell (in the 1930s) into the business. Ellery retired in 1966, and W. Russell, who later retired in 1985, was joined by his sons Bradford in 1958 and Russell in 1961. Cross entered the international marketplace in 1962 and became a public company in 1971.

David G. Whalen became President and Chief Executive Officer in 1999, Russell A. Boss is Chairman of the Board and Bradford R. Boss is Chairman Emeritus.

A. T. Cross headquarters in Lincoln, RI, has been expanded several times to meet international demand for fine writing instruments.

Cross writing instruments are now distributed in more than 140 foreign markets. The company has writing instrument marketing subsidiaries in the U.K., Spain, France, Germany, Holland, Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Canada