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This article is about the American industrialist. For other uses, see Henry Ford (disambiguation).

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Henry Ford

Henry ford 1919.jpg

Ford in 1919

Born July 30, 1863

Greenfield Township, Michigan, U.S.

Died April 7, 1947 (aged 83)

Fair Lane, Dearborn, Michigan, U.S.

Nationality American

Occupation Founder of Ford Motor, business magnate, engineering

Net worth Increase $188.1 billion (based on February 2008 data from Forbes)

Religion Anglican

Spouse(s) Clara Jane Bryant

Children Edsel Ford

Parent(s) William Ford and Mary Ford

Signature Henry Ford Signature.svg

Henry Ford (July 30, 1863 – April 7, 1947) was an American industrialist, the founder of the Ford Motor Company, and sponsor of the development of the assembly line technique of mass production.

Although Ford did not invent the automobile or the assembly line,[1] he developed and manufactured the first automobile that many middle class Americans could afford. In doing so, Ford converted the automobile from an expensive curiosity into a practical conveyance that would profoundly impact the landscape of the twentieth century. His introduction of the Model T automobile revolutionized transportation and American industry. As owner of the Ford Motor Company, he became one of the richest and best-known people in the world. He is credited with "Fordism": mass production of inexpensive goods coupled with high wages for workers. Ford had a global vision, with consumerism as the key to peace. His intense commitment to systematically lowering costs resulted in many technical and business innovations, including a franchise system that put dealerships throughout most of North America and in major cities on six continents. Ford left most of his vast wealth to the Ford Foundation and arranged for his family to control the company permanently.

Ford was also widely known for his pacifism during the first years of World War I, and also for being the publisher of antisemitic texts such as the book The International Jew.[2]

Contents [hide]

1 Early life

2 Marriage and family

3 Career

3.1 Ford Motor Company

3.1.1 Model T

3.1.2 Model A and Ford's later career

3.1.3 Labor philosophy

3.1.3.1 The five-dollar workday

3.1.3.2 Labor unions

3.2 Ford Airplane Company

3.2.1 Willow Run

3.3 Peace and war

3.3.1 World War I era

3.3.2 The coming of World War II and Ford's mental collapse

4 The Dearborn Independent and anti-Semitism

5 International business

6 Racing

7 Later career and death

8 Personal interests

8.1 Interest in materials science and engineering

8.2 Florida and Georgia residences and community

8.3 Preserving Americana

9 In popular culture

10 Honors and recognition

11 See also

12 Notes

13 References

13.1 Memoirs by Ford Motor Company principals

13.2 Biographies

13.3 Specialized studies

14 Further reading

15 External links

§Early life

Henry Ford was born July 30, 1863, on a farm in Greenfield Township, Michigan.[3] His father, William Ford (1826–1905), was born in County Cork, Ireland, to a family that was originally from Somerset, England,[4] His mother, Mary Ford (née Litogot) (1839–1876), 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. Henry Ford's siblings were Margaret Ford (1867–1938); Jane Ford (c. 1868–1945); William Ford (1871–1917) and Robert Ford (1873–1934).

His father gave him a pocket watch in his early teens. At 15, Ford dismantled and reassembled the timepieces of friends and neighbors dozens of times, gaining the reputation of a watch repairman.[5] At twenty, Ford walked four miles to their Episcopal church every Sunday.[6]

Ford was devastated when his mother died in 1876. His father expected him to eventually take over the family farm, but he despised farm work. He later wrote, "I never had any particular love for the farm—it was the mother on the farm I loved."[7]

In 1879, Ford left home to work as an apprentice machinist in Detroit, first with James F. Flower & Bros., and later with the Detroit Dry Dock Co. In 1882, he returned to Dearborn to work on the family farm, where he became adept at operating the Westinghouse portable steam engine. He was later hired by Westinghouse to service their steam engines. During this period Ford also studied bookkeeping at Goldsmith, Bryant & Stratton Business College in Detroit.[8]

§Marriage and family

Henry Ford in 1888, aged 25

Ford married Clara Ala Bryant (1866–1950) in 1888 and supported himself by farming and running a sawmill.[9] They had one child: Edsel Ford (1893–1943).[10]

§Career

In 1891, Ford became an engineer with the Edison Illuminating Company. After his promotion to Chief Engineer in 1893, he had enough time and money to devote attention to his personal experiments on gasoline