Cramer was founded in 1982 by Tom “Red” Martin. His compassion, dedication, and respect for everyone he met is what made Cramer successful in his lifetime, and what still drives us today.
If you’re at all curious about who Cramer is as a company, you should start by learning a bit about Red.
Humble beginnings
Red’s father passed when he was very young. As a result, Red started working early to help ends meet at home. Every Sunday you could find a grade-school-aged Red selling newspapers outside St Anthony’s Church in Cambridge (after attending 6:30 AM mass himself), and bringing the money he earned back home to help his mother support the family.
The experience taught him the value of hustle and hard work at an early age—as well as a strong sense of compassion for others—personality traits that would stay with him for life.
Dedication that got results
Red’s drive and commitment to hard work helped him excel in sports. He played hockey throughout high school and was captain of Boston College’s varsity hockey team, leading them to victory in the 1961 Beanpot tournament after logging an amazing 58 minutes of ice time and scoring the game winning goal. (He also played first base for the BC baseball team in ’60 and ’61, which included a trip to the College World Series.)
After college Red was drafted to the U.S. Olympic team, where he played as a defenseman and served as assistant captain for the team’s run in the 1964 games in Innsbruck, Austria. His Olympic jersey hangs in the halls of Cramer to this day.
