Changes of the Week

P: Lewis A. Lapham, 46, son of onetime San Francisco Mayor Roger Lapham (TIME, July 15, 1946), moved up from executive vice president to president of W. R. Grace & Co.'s shipping subsidiary, Grace Line. Lapham succeeds Cassius C. Mallory, 64, who stepped up to the Grace Line board chairmanship vacated by W. R. Grace & Co. President J. Peter Grace Jr. (Grace gave up the title to free himself for the diversified operations of the parent company.) Lapham comes by shipping naturally: his grandfather was co-founder of the American-Hawaiian Steamship Co., his father was onetime president and board chairman. Brooklyn-born, Lewis Lapham grew up in San Francisco, went East to school (Hotchkiss and Yale '31), worked as a ship news reporter for the San Francisco Examiner before he joined the family firm. During World War II, he was executive assistant to the San Francisco Port of Embarkation. Two years ago Grace Line brought him in as heir apparent.

P: Robert A. Muller, 55, stepped up from senior vice president to president of Atlas Plywood Corp., succeeding the late Elmore I. MacPhie. A native of Springfield, Ohio, Muller got his mechanical engineering degree at the University of Cincinnati, joined Boston's C. L. Stevens Co. (consulting engineers), switched to Atlas in 1927 as chief engineer and general production manager.

P: Frank F. Elliott, 62, advanced from senior vice president to president and chief executive officer of Crane Co.. one of the top U.S. makers of bathroom fixtures, to succeed John L. Holloway, who resigned because of poor health. Elliott joined Crane 33 years ago in Los Angeles, moved up to branch manager, to Western district manager, to vice president for all sales. President Elliott's first objective: halt Crane's three-year decline in sales and profits (1954 net: $5,800,000 v. $8,700,000 in 1953, $16,200,000 in 1951). To do this, he hopes to cut production costs, boost sales of Crane's bathroom fixtures, industrial valves, fittings, etc., continue diversification into such operations as mining rare earths, refining titanium, turning out aircraft accessories. To work with Elliott, Crane brought in Mark W. Lowell, vice president of Continental Illinois National Bank & Trust Co., to fill the vacant post of board chairman.

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