BIO: Cloyd A. GRISSINGER, Huntingdon County, PA Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by Dave Wilson Copyright 2006. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/pafiles.htm ************************************************************** __________________________________________________________ McElroy, James Thomas Jr., McElroy's Family Memories, Huntingdon, PA: (Author), 1930, page 71. __________________________________________________________ CLOYD A. GRISSINGER Mount Union, Pa. Manager Shapiro Theatre: A pioneer in the movie business. He first began showing movie pictures in halls for entertainment purposes; used tank gas, and turned crank to operate films, no electricity, when one and two reels constituted an entertainment. He has kept abreast of the times in the movie world. To-day is manager and part owner of the Shapiro Theatre. This theatre was first opened to the public on Jan. 31, 1916, and was opened with Victor Herbert's "Sweethearts." This theatre has a seating capacity of 1000 people. On May 6, 1929, he introduced the talkies, the first picture being "Syncopation." In order to perfect the introduction of the talkies an expenditure of over $7500 was involved. Cloyd Grissinger was born at New Grenada, Fulton Co., Pa., August 30, 1887. Born on farm, and stayed on farm till seventeen years of age; was fourteen years of age when his mother died. He is a son of James L. Grissinger, a farmer all his life; died in 1926; aged seventy-nine. He married Elizabeth Bridenstine. The father was a Civil War veteran. His mother died in 1899 at the age of forty-five years. For one year Mr. Grissinger was on the road as product agent and for eight years with Joseph Shapiro, merchant, Broad Top City, Pa. Belongs to Motion Picture Owners' Association and to the I.O.O.F., No. 677, Mount Union, Pa. Is a Democrat. Three brothers; Carl C., Broad Top City, merchant; James E. machinist, Mount Union, Pa.; Harry A., Salem, Ohio. Cloyd A. Grissinger was married to Florence Woods, a daughter of James and Eliza Woods, Robertsdale, Pa. They have two daughters: Ottalene, a Sophomore, Mount Union High Schools; Cleo, twelve years, Junior High. Harold, a son, died in 1917, of pneumonia, eleven years of age.