[1] He entered politics as a Republican in 1923, winning a seat on the 22-member Philadelphia City Council, one of several members representing the multi-member 8th district.
[1] In 1947, he sponsored legislation to create a group charged with revising the city charter.
The result of that study was the Philadelphia Home Rule Charter, which voters approved in a 1951 referendum and which remains in force today.
The charter remodeled city council, eliminating multi-member districts.
Crossan ran for the new 10th district seat, but lost to Democrat John F. Byrne Sr., and retired from politics.