G. D. Crain, previously the city editor of the Louisville Herald newspaper, founded Crain Communications in Louisville, Kentucky in 1916, with only three staff members publishing two papers: Class (which later became Industrial Marketing, among other names and is now called BtoB[REF]) and Hospital Management (sold in 1952) [REF].
G D. Crain died in 1973 and was succeeded by his widow, Gertrude Crain, who chaired the company until 1996.