TRW Inc.

TRW Inc.
Company typePublic
NYSE: TRW
IndustryAutomotive and aerospace
Founded1901 (1901)
Defunct2002 (2002)
FateAcquired
SuccessorTRW Automotive, Northrop Grumman and Goodrich Corporation
HeadquartersEuclid, Ohio / Lyndhurst, Ohio, United States
Key people
Frederick C. Crawford, Simon Ramo, Dean Wooldridge
ProductsAutomotive, aerospace and credit reporting
Number of employees
122,258 (2000)
SubsidiariesCAV, Girling, LucasVarity Automotive and Lucas Aerospace

TRW Inc., or Thompson Ramo Wooldridge Inc., was an American corporation involved in a variety of businesses, mainly aerospace, electronics, automotive, and credit reporting. The company was founded in 1901 and lasted for just over a century until being acquired by Northrop Grumman in 2002. It spawned a variety of corporations, including Pacific Semiconductors, The Aerospace Corporation, Bunker-Ramo and Experian. TRW was instrumental in the development of American spacecraft during the Space Race, including Pioneer 1, Pioneer 10, and Apollo. TRW also played a significant role in the defense industry, leading the development of the United States' first ICBM and later the Titan missile. The corporation was listed as #57 on the 1986 Fortune 500 list, and had 122,258 employees in 2000.