Henry Ford

Henry Ford (July 30, 1863 – April 7, 1947) was an American industrialist and business magnate. As founder of the Ford Motor Company, he is credited as a pioneer in making automobiles affordable for middle-class Americans through the Fordism system. In 1911, he was awarded a patent for the transmission mechanism that would be used in the Model T and other automobiles.

Ford was born in a farmhouse in Michigan's Springwells Township, leaving home at age 16 to find work in Detroit. It was a few years before this time that Ford first experienced automobiles, and throughout the later half of the 1880s, Ford began repairing and later constructing engines, and through the 1890s worked with a division of Edison Electric. He officially founded the Ford Motor Company in 1903, after prior failures in business but success in constructing automobiles.

Ford's 1908 introduction of the Model T automobile is credited with having revolutionized both transportation and American industry. As the Ford Motor Company sole owner, "he became one of the richest and best-known people in the world." Aside from "Fordism", Ford was also among the pioneers of the five-day workweek. Ford believed that consumerism was a key to global peace. His 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 was known for his pacifism during the first years of World War I, although during the war his company became a major supplier of weapons. He promoted the League of Nations. In the 1920s Ford promoted antisemitism through his newspaper ''The Dearborn Independent'' and the book ''The International Jew.'' He opposed United States entry into World War II, and served for a time on the America First Committee board. After his son Edsel died in 1943, Ford resumed control of the company but was too frail to make decisions and quickly came under the control of subordinates. He turned over the company to his grandson Henry Ford II in 1945. He died in 1947 after leaving most of his wealth to the Ford Foundation, and control of the company to his family. Provided by Wikipedia