Background
W. Norton Grubb was born in Philadelphia and was the son of Edith (Norton) and Warner Grubb, a forman for the Fells Soap company.
W. Norton Grubb was born in Philadelphia and was the son of Edith (Norton) and Warner Grubb, a forman for the Fells Soap company.
He was assigned as Head of the Latin American section of the Army-Navy Petroleum Board, Tanker Control Officer for the European Theater, and finally as Executive Officer of the Allied Tanker Board. After graduation from South Philadelphia High School in 1917, Norton served briefly as a seaman in the Navy Reserves during World War I before majoring in chemistry at Penn State. In 1920, Grubb was an alternate on the United States. rowing team at the Antwerp Olympics.
The next year, he joined the Atlantic Refining Company in Philadelphia and by 1929 was promoted to Director, Atlantic Refining of Africa.
In 1931, Norton was transferred to Sydney, Australia. Two years later, he was hired by Standard Oil (SO = Esso) as President of the West Indies Oil Company in Latin America and later promoted as a Director in London.
Norton was finally transferred back to Standard Oil (SO = Esso) Manhattan headquarters in 1939. In 1941, Grubb represented the company in negotiations with the British Government in London from February through June.
Upon his return to the United States, he was interviewed by the New York Times concerning Great Britain"s oil supplies.
In October 1942, he was commissioned as a Navy lieutenant commander and assigned to Washington, District of Columbia as Head of the Latin American section of the Army-Navy Petroleum Board. At the end of December 1943, he was reassigned as Tanker Control Officer for the European Theater in London. Promoted to captain in May 1944, Grubb was transferred back to Washington in December as Executive Officer of the Allied Tanker Board until September 1945.
By his initiative and forceful direction of his command, Commodore Grubb contributed materially to the successful prosecution of the war.
Foreign the President, James Forrestal, Secretary of the Navy".
"Foreign exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services to the Government of the United States while serving as Head of the Latin American section of the Army-Navy Petroleum Board, as Tanker Control Officer with the Commander of Naval Forces in Europe and as Navy member of the Petroleum Section of the Staff of the Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force from November 6, 1942, to December 27, 1944.
