T. Robert Craig, 79; Pioneer Marketer of Hand-Held Calculator

T. Robert Craig, 79, who was a pioneer in marketing the hand-held calculator and developing the eight-track auto stereo system, died Wednesday at his home in Brentwood of undisclosed causes.

Born in Los Angeles, Craig graduated from Stanford University and served as an Army Air Forces pilot during World War II. He later joined Craig Corp., which his father had founded in Los Angeles to distribute photographic materials.

During his more than three decades as chairman and chief executive from 1952 to 1985, Craig transformed the company into a well-known importer and marketer of consumer electronics products, including Japanese-produced calculators and other items.

Craig became an early member of the Young Presidents Organization and in 1968 was elected its international president. He also served on the boards of directors of Claremont Men’s College and Orthopedic Hospital in Los Angeles, and was an international goodwill ambassador for a nationally sponsored People to People golf program.