Clarence H. Wilkens collection of A. Schrader's Son, Inc. records

August Schrader, a German immigrant, opened his first machine shop in Manhattan, New York, in 1844. By the 1850s, he had partnered with the Goodyear Brothers to manufacture valves and fittings for rubber goods. By the turn of the century, he had moved his operations to Brooklyn, building a factory at 791 Atlantic Avenue, and partnered with his son, George. The company then became known as A. Schrader's Son. In the 1890s, the company developed the "Schrader valve" for bicycle tires, which is still used today. Soon, the company began to produce valves and other products for the burgeoning automobile industry. It was also a leading manufacturer of diving equipment.

In 1904, George Schrader incorporated the company, and in 1912, the company moved to 470 Vanderbilt Avenue, where a new factory had been constructed. Prior to World War II, A. Schrader's Son was acquired by Scovill Manufacturing Company, although it retained its name. The company benefited from war-time production demands, and opened another factory at 481 Clermont Avenue during that time. The company expanded outside of New York beginning the early 20th century, and by the 1960s it was no longer operating out of Brooklyn. By the 2000s, the company was still in operation, and known simply as Schrader. In 2014, Schrader was acquired by the Dutch company Sensata Technology.

Clarence H. Wilkens was born in Brooklyn on January 17, 1899. He began work as an office boy at A. Schrader's Son in 1916. There he met and married Edith M. Hunt, who was also an employee of the company. By 1922, he was promoted and transferred to the company's Akron, Ohio office. He continued to work from the Akron office, eventually rising to the position of Assistant General Manager of Sales. He died in Akron on October 17, 1961.