[81] Adolf Hitler wrote, "only a single great man, Ford, [who], to [the Jews'] fury, still maintains full independence [from] the controlling masters of the producers in a nation of one hundred and twenty millions." The book made a great influence on myself and my friends because we saw in Henry Ford the representative of success and also the representative of a progressive social policy. Born: July 30, 1863. Henry Ford | Biography, Education, Inventions, & Facts [34] Ford's policy proved that paying employees more would enable them to afford the cars they were producing and thus boost the local economy. How American Icon Henry Ford Fostered Anti-Semitism Henry Ford was one of eight children born to William and Mary Ford. [12], Also in 1896, Ford attended a meeting of Edison executives, where he was introduced to Thomas Edison. As independent dealers, the franchises grew rich and publicized not just the Ford but also the concept of automobiling; local motor clubs sprang up to help new drivers and encourage them to explore the countryside. Ford talked to President Woodrow Wilson about the mission but had no government support. Henry Ford weighed 295 lbs (133 kg) when playing. Efficiency meant hiring and keeping the best workers. The horse disappeared so rapidly that the transfer of acreage from hay to other crops caused an agricultural revolution. There, at 15, he constructed his first steam engine. After three years, during which he came in contact with the internal-combustion engine for the first time, he returned to the farm, where he worked part-time for the Westinghouse Engine Company and in spare moments tinkered in a little machine shop he set up. The belt was shifted by a clutch lever to control speeds at 10 or 20 miles per hour, augmented by a throttle. The entire engine and transmission were enclosed; the four cylinders were cast in a solid block; the suspension used two semi-elliptic springs. He died in 1947 after leaving most of his wealth to the Ford Foundation, and control of the company to his family. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. When he was about 7 one of his dads workers took apart a clock and since that moment he wanted to learn how clocks worked. Ford would not have a true equivalent of the GM styling department for many years. The ruse worked, and Ford and Edsel purchased all remaining stock from the other investors, thus giving the family sole ownership of the company. [48], Ford opposed war, which he viewed as a terrible waste,[49][50] and supported causes that opposed military intervention. Henry Ford Early Life Henry Ford was born in 1863 on a farm in rural Michigan, near Detroit. It ran on grain alcohol (ethanol) instead of gasoline. Ford's Episcopalian pastor, Reverend Samuel S. Marquis, accompanied him on the mission. 42 Interesting Facts About Henry Ford - The Fact File on average. [66] Ford produced 9,000 B-24s at Willow Run, half of the 18,000 total B-24s produced during the war. Ford stated two significant events occurred in 1875 when he was 12. In 1885, Ford repaired an Otto engine, and in 1887 he built a four-cycle model with a one-inch bore and a three-inch stroke. Marquis headed Ford's Sociology Department from 1913 to 1921. "The Political Economy of Industrial Location: the Ford Motor Company at Cork 191226.". Keywords Photographic prints Photographs Studio portraits Ford, William, 1826-1905 By the time he was 12, he was spending most of his spare time in a small machine shop he had equipped himself. Both supporters and critics insisted that Fordism epitomized American capitalist development, and that the auto industry was the key to understanding economic and social relations in the United States. Ford explained, "It is high time to rid ourselves of the notion that leisure for workmen is either 'lost time' or a class privilege. [54], Ford's British factories produced Fordson tractors to increase the British food supply, as well as trucks and warplane engines. [24], The result was the Ford Model A, introduced in December 1927 and produced through 1931, with a total output of more than fourmillion. [40] The program apparently started with Saturday being designated a workday, before becoming a day off sometime later. Henry Ford's Greatest Achievements and Inventions A man of many talents, Ford had a deep passion for science and development and is widely considered to be among the most influential people in history. The contract was signed in June 1941. [32][33], Detroit was already a high-wage city, but competitors were forced to raise wages or lose their best workers. [101], Ford's philosophy was one of economic independence for the United States. Before leaving his presidency early in 1921, Woodrow Wilson joined other leading Americans in a statement that rebuked Ford and others for their antisemitic campaign. His father was a native of County Cork, Ireland, who came to America in 1847 and settled on a farm in Wayne County. He describes himself as someone who raced only because in the 1890s through 1910s, one had to race because prevailing ignorance held that racing was the way to prove the worth of an automobile. Sorensen recounted[46] that a distraught Henry Ford was very close to following through with a threat to break up the company rather than cooperate. [67] The company was controlled by a handful of senior executives led by Charles Sorensen, an important engineer and production executive at Ford; and Harry Bennett, the chief of Ford's Service Unit, Ford's paramilitary force that spied on, and enforced discipline upon, Ford employees. Now you're in here and we've given you a union shop and more than you got out of them. This record stood for the next 45 years, and was achieved in 19 years from the introduction of the first Model T (1908). With this success, Murphy and other stockholders in the Detroit Automobile Company formed the Henry Ford Company on November 30, 1901, with Ford as chief engineer. Portrait of Henry Ford as a Child, 1865-1866 - The Henry Ford The new model enjoyed solid but not spectacular success. Henry Ford's siblings were Margaret Ford (18671938); Jane Ford (c. 18681945); William Ford (18711917) and Robert Ford (18731934). Ford was born on a farm in Michigan's Springwells Township, leaving home at age 16 to work in Detroit. He cultivated a relationship with George Washington Carver for this purpose. [63]:430 Ford was a prominent early member of the America First Committee against World War II involvement, but was forced to resign from its executive board when his involvement proved too controversial. Ford said humanitarianism had nothing to do with it. In 1882, he returned to Dearborn to work on the family farm, where he became adept at operating the Westinghouse portable steam engine. He died on April 7, 1947, of a cerebral hemorrhage at Fair Lane, his estate in Dearborn, at the age of 83. At the time of his death, flooding on the Rouge River, which flows through the grounds of Fair Lane, had cut off electrical power. Henry Ford (July 30, 1863-April 7, 1947) was an American industrialist and business magnate best known for founding the Ford Motor Company and promoting the development of the assembly line technique of mass production. Still, his wife Clara told him she would leave him if he destroyed the family business. [6], Ford was devastated when his mother died in 1876. ", "America's wholesome square dancing tradition is a tool of white supremacy", "Jews and Baseball Is a Film You Should Catch", Jews and Baseball: An American Love Story, "The Dearborn Independent, February 20, 1926 Henry Ford", "Ford's Anti-Semitism | American Experience | PBS", "Henry Ford and the Jews, the story Dearborn didn't want told | Bridge Michigan", "The International Jew: 1920s Antisemitism Revived Online | ADL", "Ford and GM Scrutinized for Alleged Nazi Collaboration", "The dark legacy of Henry Ford's anti-Semitism", "Mayor's attempt to censor local article about Henry Ford's anti-Semitism draws national attention", "At Ford-sponsored Auschwitz exhibit, no sign of founder's role in Nazi machine", "Leader in Production Founded Vast Empire in Motors in 1903. Ford's stubbornness had cost him his leadership position in the industry; the Model A was outsold by General Motors' Chevrolet and Chrysler 's Plymouth and was discontinued in 1931. However, Ford did acknowledge that many managers were basically too bad at managing to understand this fact. Ford had a vacation residence in Fort Myers, Florida, next to that of Thomas Edison, which he bought in 1915 and used until c.1930. [44], When Rolls-Royce sought a U.S. manufacturer as an additional source for the Merlin engine (as fitted to Spitfire and Hurricane fighters), Ford first agreed to do so and then reneged. In doing so, he shaped the culture of America forever. Henry Ford was born in 1863 on a farm in Dearborn, Michigan, where his English grandfather had settled after leaving Ireland in 1847. One month later, Henry Ford founded his second automobile venture, the Henry Ford Company. Later that year, the American Petroleum Institute awarded him its first Gold Medal annual award for outstanding contributions to the welfare of humanity. The project culminated in 1942, when Ford patented an automobile made almost entirely of plastic, attached to a tubular welded frame. Henry Ford marries Clara Jane Bryant - HISTORY He later wrote, "I never had any particular love for the farmit was the mother on the farm I loved. [82][97], On January 7, 1942, Ford wrote another letter to Sigmund Livingston disclaiming direct or indirect support of "any agitation which would promote antagonism toward my Jewish fellow citizens". His father expected him to take over the family farm eventually, but he despised farm work. It may have inspired the creation of Old Sturbridge Village as well. The Lelands briefly stayed to manage the company, but were soon expelled from it. Early life Henry Ford was born July 30, 1863, on a farm in Springwells Township, Michigan. [52] In 1915, Ford blamed "German-Jewish bankers" for instigating the war. The couple's only child, Edsel, was born in November 1893. Henry Fords career as a builder of automobiles dated from the winter of 1893 when his interest in internal combustion engines led him to construct a small one-cylinder gasoline model. Died At Age: 83 Family: Spouse/Ex-: Clara Ala Bryant (m. 1888-1947) father: William Ford mother: Mary Litogot Ford siblings: Jane Ford, Margaret Ford, Robert Ford, William Ford Jr. children: Edsel Ford Born Country: United States Quotes By Henry Ford Automobile Industry Died on: April 7, 1947 place of death: Dearborn, Michigan, United States Ford's goal was to produce a vehicle from scratch without reliance on foreign trade. [36], Real profit-sharing was offered to employees who had worked at the company for six months or more, and, importantly, conducted their lives in a manner of which Ford's "Social Department" approved. The losing side in the war typically suffered heavy damage. Ford finished eighth grade at a one-room school,[3] Springwells Middle School. [106] Said Ford: "No matter where industry prospers, whether in India or China, or Russia, the more profit there will be for everyone, including us. They frowned on heavy drinking, gambling, and on what are now called deadbeat dads. Ford was reportedly infuriated, but had no choice but to give in. Moreover, Ford thought the Selden patent preposterous. On April 11, 1888, Henry married Clara Jane Bryant of Greenfield, Michigan, the daughter of Martha (Bench) and Melvin Bryant, a Wayne County farmer. The association claimed that the patent applied to all gasoline-powered automobiles. Henry Ford was born on July 30, 1863, and grew up on his family's prosperous farm in Springwells Township about seven miles due west of Detroit. [113], When Edsel Ford, President of Ford Motor Company, died of cancer in May 1943, the elderly and ailing Henry Ford decided to assume the presidency. [60] The financiers to whom he was referring was Ford's code for Jews; he had also accused Jews of fomenting the First World War. Who Was Henry Ford? by Michael Burgan | Goodreads [35] It may have been Couzens who convinced Ford to adopt the $5-day wage. Every Ford dealership nationwide was required to carry the paper and distribute it to its customers. In 1946, Henry Ford was lauded at the Automotive Golden Jubilee for his contributions to the automotive industry. Without changing the principle we have changed the method of payment. [13] Sales were slow, and a crisis arose when the Dodge brothers demanded payment for their first shipment. Henry Ford has not been . A public viewing was held at Greenfield Village where up to 5,000 people per hour filed past the casket. [1] His father, William Ford (18261905), was born in County Cork, Ireland, to a family that had emigrated from Somerset, England in the 16th century. Ford started buying land in this area and eventually owned 70,000 acres (110 square miles) there. Born: July 30, 1863 Michigan: Died: April 7, 1947 (aged 83) Dearborn Michigan: Founder: Ford Motor Company: . Not until the 1930s did Ford overcome his objection to finance companies, and the Ford-owned Universal Credit Corporation became a major car-financing operation. [90] Investigative journalist Max Wallace noted that "whatever credibility this absurd claim may have had was soon undermined when James M. Miller, a former Dearborn Independent employee, swore under oath that Ford had told him he intended to expose Sapiro. Henry Ford was born July 30, 1863, on a farm in Springwells Township, Michigan. Henry Ford Is Dead at 83 in Dearborn - The New York Times Web Archive He then started a second car in 1896, eventually building three of them in his home workshop. [1] His father, William Ford (1826-1905), was born in County Cork, Ireland, to a family that had emigrated from Somerset, England in the 16th century. Engineering Photographic Department Creator Notes Originally photographed by William Marratt of Detroit, circa 1880. Glock, Charles Y. and Quinley, Harold E. (1983). His victory had wide implications for the industry, and the fight made Ford a popular hero. Henry Ford was born July 30, 1863, and he was no more than three years old when he posed for his first photographic portrait. [citation needed], He believed that productivity gains that obviated certain jobs would nevertheless stimulate the broader economy and grow new jobs elsewhere, whether within the same corporation or in others. x, 37687; Lewis (1976) pp. Ford started another company, Henry Ford and Son, and made a show of taking himself and his best employees to the new company; the goal was to scare the remaining holdout stockholders of the Ford Motor Company to sell their stakes to him before they lost most of their value. Like other automobile companies, Ford entered the aviation business during World War I, building Liberty engines. Distinguished Professor of English, University of New Orleans. But he was determined that as long as this was the definition of success (flawed though the definition was), then his cars would be the best that there were at racing. [13] Backed by the capital of Detroit lumber baron William H. Murphy, Ford resigned from the Edison Company and founded the Detroit Automobile Company on August 5, 1899. Nothing happened until 1945 when, with bankruptcy a serious risk, Ford's wife Clara and Edsel's widow Eleanor confronted him and demanded he cede control of the company to his grandson Henry Ford II. This first Ford car, the Quadricycle, was completed in June 1896. Most wanted to restrict productivity as a means to foster employment, but Ford saw this as self-defeating because, in his view, productivity was necessary for economic prosperity to exist. [11], In 1891, Ford became an engineer with the Edison Illuminating Company of Detroit. Once Ford realized the tremendous part he and his Model T automobile had played in bringing about this change, he wanted nothing more than to reverse it, or at least to recapture the rural values of his boyhood. Ford "insisted that war was the product of greedy financiers who sought profit in human destruction". '", Segal, Howard P. "'Little Plants in the Country': Henry Ford's Village Industries and the Beginning of Decentralized Technology in Modern America", Tedlow, Richard S. "The Struggle for Dominance in the Automobile Market: the Early Years of Ford and General Motors", Thomas, Robert Paul. Henry Ford - ASME - The American Society of Mechanical Engineers Ford created the first automobile that middle-class Americans could afford, and his conversion of the automobile from an expensive luxury into an accessible conveyance profoundly impacted the landscape of the 20th century. "[84] Ford also paid to print and distribute 500,000 copies the antisemitic fabricated text The Protocols of the Elders of Zion. Ford broke ground on Willow Run in the spring of 1941, B-24 component production began in May 1942, and the first complete B-24 came off the line in October 1942. Henry Ford, founder of Ford Motor Company, was born in Springwells Township, Wayne County, Michigan, on July 30, 1863, to Mary (Litogot) and William Ford. With Ford gone, Leland renamed the company the Cadillac Automobile Company.[13]. Ford, on the other hand, stressed low pricing (the Model T cost $950 in 1908 and $290 in 1927) in order to capture the widest possible market and then met the price by volume and efficiency. Top 10 Facts about Henry Ford - Discover Walks Blog "Perspiring Capitalists: Latinos and the Henry Ford Service School, 19181928", Williams, Karel, Colin Haslam and John Williams, "Ford versus 'Fordism': The Beginning of Mass Production? Teaming up with former racing cyclist Tom Cooper, Ford also produced the 80+ horsepower racer "999," which Barney Oldfield was to drive to victory in a race in October 1902. In December 1927 he introduced the Model A. Henry Ford (1863-1947) was an industrialist who changed the face of automobile manufacture in America, becoming the epitome of American Capitalism. [2] His mother, Mary Ford (ne Litogot; 18391876), was born in Michigan as the youngest child of Belgian immigrants; her parents died when she was a child and she was adopted by neighbors, the O'Herns. The Social Department used 50 investigators and support staff to maintain employee standards; a large percentage of workers were able to qualify for this "profit-sharing".