Henry Ford (July 30, 1863 – April 7, 1947) was an American industrialist and business magnate, founder of the Ford Motor Company, and chief developer of the assembly line technique of mass production. By creating the first automobile that middle-class Americans could afford, he converted the automobile from an expensive curiosity into an accessible conveyance that profoundly impacted the landscape of the 20th century.
His introduction of the Model T automobile revolutionized transportation and American industry. As the Ford Motor Company owner, 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 North America and major cities on six continents. Ford left most of his vast wealth to the Ford Foundation and arranged for his family to permanently control it.
Ford was also widely known for his pacifism during the first years of World War I.
(P.S. I did not include Wikipedia's extensive commentary on his antisemitic statements. Mr. Ford, in spite of those beliefs, was still a great inventor, industrialist, and businessman. I have also included some people this month who have said things that far-right (or even moderately not-communist) people would find distasteful, but were still great contributors to American culture. This list is honoring achievement, not political or personal views.)
Previously featured Irish Americans:
Day 1, Patrick Kane: https://patriots.win/p/12hkTjM7RG/
Day 2, Commodore John Barry: https://patriots.win/p/12hkTnthuz/
Day 3, John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara: https://patriots.win/p/12hkYNmV8K/
Day 4, Lt. Audie Murphy: https://patriots.win/p/12hkYTRNo1/
Day 5, Michael Collins: https://patriots.win/p/12hkd3InNQ/
Day 6, The McDonald Brothers: https://patriots.win/p/12hkd7pHKZ/
Day 7, Fathers of Boxing - Sullivan, Corbett, and Tunney: https://patriots.win/p/12hkdBDvBw/
Day 8, Eirechitects - James Hoban and Louis Sullivan: https://patriots.win/p/12hkhl5cHQ/
Day 9, Ed Sullivan: https://patriots.win/p/12hkhpdkeq/
Day 10, Slammin' Sammy Snead: https://patriots.win/p/12hkmPVAMT/
Day 11, Gen. Stephen Kearny: https://patriots.win/p/12hkmU2kRd/
Day 12, Tom Brady: https://patriots.win/p/12hkmZgWqx/
Day 13, Bill O'Reilly and Sean Hannity: https://patriots.win/p/12hkr8PHmw/
Day 14, John Philip Holland: https://patriots.win/p/12hkrBpIAA/
Day 15, Regis Philbin: https://patriots.win/p/12hkrFFqhV/
From Wikipedia:
Henry Ford (July 30, 1863 – April 7, 1947) was an American industrialist and business magnate, founder of the Ford Motor Company, and chief developer of the assembly line technique of mass production. By creating the first automobile that middle-class Americans could afford, he converted the automobile from an expensive curiosity into an accessible conveyance that profoundly impacted the landscape of the 20th century.
His introduction of the Model T automobile revolutionized transportation and American industry. As the Ford Motor Company owner, 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 North America and major cities on six continents. Ford left most of his vast wealth to the Ford Foundation and arranged for his family to permanently control it.
Ford was also widely known for his pacifism during the first years of World War I.
(P.S. I did not include Wikipedia's extensive commentary on his antisemitic statements. Mr. Ford, in spite of those beliefs, was still a great inventor, industrialist, and businessman. I have also included some people this month who have said things that far-right (or even moderately not-communist) people would find distasteful, but were still great contributors to American culture. This list is honoring achievement, not political or personal views.)
Henry Ford was right about everything!