A year later, Mr. Ford enlisted in the Army after obtaining permission from the War Department to enlist as a private. Detroit, MI (313) 235-1662. Through the succeeding years, they went through billions of tires together and made hundreds of millions in profits before it suddenly all went flat. Adolf Hitler and other Nazis hailed Ford for his stand, and the Nazi Party distributed his book in translation widely throughout Germany. Mr. Ford had a history of illness, including at least two previous heart attacks. Relationships Interlocks Giving Data. He served as trustee of the Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village for 36 years and succeeded his grandfather as the second Chairman of the Board for the museum from Henry Ford's death in 1947 until 1951. He loved to travel. Fields, who was born in Brooklyn and raised in New Jersey, and who graduated from Harvard Business School after a stint at IBM, signed on at Ford in an era when many of his classmates, Jewish and otherwise, were heading for potentially more lucrative jobs on Wall Street. William Clay Ford, Jr. also went by the nick-name of Bill. The price of the largely handmade car, which was marketed in the early 1950's, was around $10,000. He also worked for religious tolerance and in 1951 was named Protestant national co-chair of the National Conference of Christians and Jews. We've received your submission. Ford seeks compensatory and punitive damages from the defendants for . In 1961 Benson received the annual Knight of Charity Award presented by Maryglade College based on "unison in family life with person-to-person charity". One time they took over the cash register in the cafeteria and gave out money to employees. [36][37][38], Years after his passing, Benson Ford remains famous for the forward deck house of the Great Lakes Freighter 1924 Benson Ford Ship named for him, known today as the Benson Ford Shiphouse in Put-In-Bay, Ohio, which has miraculously survived a century of history to become a private summer home (not open to the general public as it is a private residence). It does not include images; to avoid copyright violations, you must add them manually, following our guidelines. The Detroit Free Press recently obtained a copy of the deposition. Pinterest. [14] He drove a Mercury in the 1950 race, a Mustang in 1964, and a Comet Cyclone GI in 1966. '', To ''make the team,'' Ford said, he was required to ''be completely faithful . The Torah was written in hiding between 1492 and 1560 in Spain or Portugal, where it was illegal to practice Judaism at the time. Benson is buried in Woodlawn Cemetery in Detroit, Michigan, with his brother William Clay Ford Sr., chairman of the Board of the Henry Ford Museum and owner of the Detroit Lions football team (Died 2014), and sister Josephine Clay Ford, a noted philanthropist (died 2005). Benson's efforts were in keeping with a racing tradition started by his grandfather beat Henry Winton in the "sweepstakes" race in 1901. The 19491951 Mercury with 110 HP was a favorite with young car enthusiasts. If you have any questions, please contact the Development Office at (313) 876-1031 or developmenthf . Business Incorporated: After her husband's death, Edith was living on Lake Shore in Grosse Pointe Shores, Michigan. Family Henry Ford II Former Chairman and CEO of Ford (1945 to 1979) brother. But Benson, one of the richest Ford heirs, began his reconciliation two years ago with the large Ford family, which still controls Ford Motor through its voting power in a special class of Ford stock issued just for family members. If any other member of my family achieves a senior position the company, it will be through meritThere are no Crown Princes in the Ford Motor Company". Thomas Mustin, a lawyer for Fuentes, said Benson Ford`s allegations are. Benson was good humored and was astute at remembering names of people, as well as their wives' and children. Reviews. The living Ford family members control the company via ownership of a special class of stockB shares. Relationships between members of the two families began five generations ago, when Henry Ford, tinkering with building his first car, bought some pneumatic buggy tires from a salesman, Harvey Firestone. The price was high. He wants to keep the focus on the company, Ford spokeswoman Susan Krusel wrote in response to an email query from the Forward requesting to speak with him. But it wasnt until the late 1970s that an executive with a Jewish background, Mervyn Manning, was promoted to the rank of vice president in one of Fords subdivisions. Summary: Photographs show Benson Ford and wife Edith on their yacht; posed by a Lincoln automobile. . 1. In addition to donating on our secure website, you can donate by check, made payable to Henry Ford Health, and mail to: Henry Ford Health, Development Office, 1 Ford Place #5A, Detroit, MI 48202-3450. Benson completed officer's candidate school in Fargo, North Dakota, and was commissioned a second lieutenant in June 1943. Motor Company, died early today of an apparent heart attack aboard his yacht, which was docked in the Cheboygan River in Michigan. 4701 Calhoun Memorial Hwy Easley, SC 29640. Benson was on the committee that selected the final Eugene Gregorie design. Just as Finkelman became Fields, however, the automaker founded by one of Americas most notorious anti-Semites has transformed itself over the decades. Ford family lawyer Pierre Heftler said Benson Ford Jr. ''ought to be left alone,'' and declined to comment. On July 9, 1991, he married Edith McNaughton, who had lived next door to the Ford family in Detroit and with whom he had attended kindergarten. Lynn Ford Alandt, Benson Ford Jr., Edsel B. Ford II, William Clay Ford Jr., and Alfred Ford (also known as Ambarish Das) oversee the trust that holds these shares. But the powerful relationship based on tires and blood ties is now collapsing in a bitter, public corporate divorce that could wind up costing both companies more than $2 billion this year alone. Fields, who has served as Fords chief operating officer since 2012, never hides his Jewish roots, but he does sidestep discussions of his religious background. The companies are escalating their war over whos to blame for exploding Firestone tires on Fords Explorer vehicles, linked to at least 174 car-wreck deaths. Please email us at [emailprotected], subject line republish, with any questions or to let us know what stories youre picking up. Shortly thereafter he was made aide-de-camp to Brigadier General Samuel M. Connell and was transferred into the Army Air Corps. Other Ford family members, including Edsel Jr., also declined to comment. [20]. How much: $2.85 million. A succession of postings followed in Los Angeles, Argentina, Japan and Europe. He is credited with saving the company from complete ruin in the late 1940s, and in later life was sued for allegedly using Ford Motor Company to bankroll his hard-drinking, womanizing lifestyle. Automotive Oral Histories. . He emerged quickly as Mulallys heir apparent. The companys hourly workers in the United States havent had a raise since 2003, though they have had profit sharing from the turnaround of the companys North American operation. Exclude Relationships Olivia Benson & Amanda Rollins (174) Dominick "Sonny" Carisi Jr./Amanda Rollins (81) Olivia Benson/Elliot Stabler (49) . Edsel had a wife named Eleanor Lowthian Clay, whom he married in 1916. William Ford Sr. of Grosse Pointe $1.4 billion [ [Ford) John Stryker of Kalamazoo, $1.4 billion [ [Stryker) Roger Penske of Bloomfield Hills, $1.3 billion [ [auto) Manoj Bhargava of Farmington Hills, $1.1 billion [ [Five-Hour Energy) Peter Karmanos of Orchard Lake, $1 billion [ [Compuware) Are there many 9-figure net worth people/families that . A sequel to " A New Life ," the addition of a new Alpha causes a unique set of challenges for Olivia Benson and her Omegas. This relationship is not possible based on lifespan dates. Article continues below advertisement In June 1943, he and Henry II represented the 41.9% of shares that had been held by their father, Edsel I. - Photo by Paul Sancya of The Associated Press. WhatsApp. He later served as general manager of that division. "Walter Buhl Ford II, Alfred Ford, William Clay Ford, Bill Ford Jr., Edsel Ford II, Henry Ford II, Benson Ford Jr. and Benson Ford in the Main Hall at Gaukler Point, January 23, 1953." The 1949 is often described by historians as "The car that saved Ford Motor Company". Column: Will self-driving cars make L.A.s world-famous traffic even worse? 70 Verified Reviews. To honor his dedication to the Edison Institute, his living children, Benson Ford Jr. and Lynn Ford Alandt, provided major financial support to establish the Benson Ford Research Center. Said Jeffrey Gurock, a professor of Jewish history at Yeshiva University: I dont think Henry Ford would have dreamed of a day where a Jew would [be] the head of his motor company. Anyone can read what you share. Last Edited=2 Feb 2009. ''It was said (by Webster) that they could take out all the people going up the steps, but that I`d have to sit in the seat,'' he testified. He worked with the Bureau of Indian Affairs as a special agent. M, #334072, b. In 1938, the Nazi regime awarded the automaker the Grand Cross of the German Eagle in recognition of this work. But this may be due to the complicated logistics of his family life. Benson Ford Jr is a resident of FL. Two days ago, the corporate chiefs of the two giants angrily severed the Ford-Firestone business relationship that began in 1895. More . Mr. Ford left an estate, most of it in Ford Motor Company stock, valued at approximately $100 million. the Ford. As expected, Benson Ford Jr. lost his bid to become a director by a resounding margin. William Clay Ford Jr. is paid well to look after his family's fortunes, although they have quickly fallen apart. A four-story summer home, the ship has 7000 square feet of living space, and includes five bedrooms, a living room, five full bathrooms, a garage, family room, dining room, a galley, a garage, and the pilot house lookout. As his health declined Benson became Chairman of the Lincoln-Mercury (Fomoco) Dealer Policy Board. By filling in the personalities of people like Old Henry Ford, Benson Ford Jr. and Lee Iacocca, we get a better picture of HFII's personality, for better or worse, and understand the dynamics of his life. he was asked. William Clay Ford, Jr. was born on 3 May 1957 at Detroit, Michigan, U.S.A. G. 1 He is the son of William Clay Ford and Martha Parke Firestone. Ford, 53, the chairman of the company's executive committee and a Ford vice president. Service hours: 7:30am to 6:00pm. Ford sold nearly a million Mercurys in three years. ; Benson Ford is believed to have supported his brother in his decision to dismiss Mr. Iacocca, a move that has generated considerable criticism from Ford auto dealers, including the 1,200member Ford Dealer Alliance, based in New Jersey.. Mr. Ford was born in Detroit on July 20, 1919. Though Lincoln-Mercury opted not to mass produce the Lincoln Futura, the sensational unique car would make Benson Ford famous, as he drove the car on the streets of New York City for curious crowds lining the streets in wonder, brought the car to auto shows across the United States, and appeared in newsreels promoting the new invention. A fundraiser and fashion show was held at the Aston Martin of Troy dealership on April 28 to benefit the Francee & Benson Ford Breast Care and Wellness Center at Henry Ford West Bloomfield Hospital. Service. Martha is one of the Firestone familys more beloved members her image is as an unpretentious soccer mom who drove her kids to school and taught them to be self-reliant. Copyright 2023 The Forward Association, Inc. All rights reserved. The company has a history of attracting talented young executives. ''Was your cousin, Edsel, one of those people?'' Bensons new role as a Ford employee comes seven years after he fought a court battle against his mother and other Ford family members in an effort to overturn the will of his late father, Benson Ford Sr., a brother of Henry Ford II. The Benson Ford {1} was laid up for the final time at the Rouge slip in December 1981, being retired afterwards. Miss McNaughton lived next door to the Fords in Detroit, and they attended kindergarten together. After being stripped of salvageable parts, Sullivan had originally intended to salvage the ship, and rebuild the Benson Ford as a refurbished barge. This was the highest rank achieved by any member of the Ford family. In 1963 he received a Distinguished Service Citation by the Automotive Old Timers. Fieldss own new salary as CEO was not immediately available. During his tenure Mercury introduced several innovations. One of the 1950s Ford Motor Co. directors and vice-presidents, he ran the Mercury Div. It was Ford's first vehicle not based on a pre-war design. Wedding gown of Lynn McNaughton Ford, daughter of Benson Ford, Sr., and Edith McNaughton Ford. He, his brothers Henry II and William, and sister Josephine, grew up in Indian Village, and at the Ford's Gaukler Point estate in Grosse Pointe Shores, Michigan, on Lake St. Clair. And the closing of ranks when Ford family scandals made national headlines including the sensational divorces of Henry Ford II, who married three times while he ruled the company nearly for four decades. Ford has lost $500 million on recalls. The third result is Benson J Ford age 70s in Menomonee Falls, WI. He also filed suit, in a case still pending in Los Angeles, against Fuentes alleging that he was misled for years by Fuentes into pouring millions of dollars into bad business deals. Mustang Classics by Randy Leffingwell, with photography by David Newhardt Published 2014 by Crestline 384 pp., hardcover. This is a business about product first and foremost, Fields said. Company officials said that the brothers were flying back to Detroit. He was born in Lansing, earning cash as a teenager by fixing used televisions. According to Carroll, Fieldss grandparents immigrated to America from Russia and Romania, and in America the family name, Finkelman, was changed to Fields. 5,000 USD ('92) Michigan Republican PartyMichigan Republican Party In the midst of his challenge to his uncle, Benson attended a private function for the family with a hidden microphone taped to his chest. He developed a close business and personal relationship with Max Fisher, a Detroit-based national Jewish communal leader, businessman and philanthropist, and with Fishers encouragement, gave freely to Jewish causes around Detroit. Ford won the Manufacturer's Cup in 1956 and 1957.[23]. In his early years at Ford, he first worked in the experimental garage with Henry II at the Ford Engineering Laboratory starting in the dynamometer room testing engines. Still, in 1989, when Fields joined the manufacturer, Ford Motor Co. was hardly the most obvious choice for an ambitious junior executive from a Jewish background. Ship House - Benson Ford Nick James Productions 2.86K subscribers Subscribe 540 Save 54K views 4 years ago Virtual tour of the iconic ship house, "Benson Ford" perched on the cliffs of South. Sales (864) 514-4382 Service (864) 855-5383. Benson Ford, Jr. Trust Dated J. [33], Benson's children are still active in the Ford Motor Company as Ford family shareholders. The Education and Research Building at Henry Ford Hospital, a large research laboratory facility, was dedicated in his name. Ford, a great-grandson of auto pioneer Henry Ford, said under oath: ''I got the feeling that it (the plan) was for me to get on the board of directors or my father`s seat and then they control me like a puppet when I was in there. It was sold in 1981 to Frank J. Sullivan, and renamed the John Dykstra II. 1948-56, then took charge of Lincoln-Mercury dealer relations. There was never a rift until now. Scores of heirs collect more than $200 million annually in dividends from various trusts. However, not his eldest brother Henry Ford II "Hank The Deuce", President, CEO, and chairman of the Board of Directors of Ford Motor Company (died 1987), who was married three times, and who chose instead to be cremated, with his ashes scattered on the Detroit River. Benson Ford Jr. (b. [13], Benson married Edith McNaughton, also of Grosse Pointe, daughter of Lynn McNaughton, a former vice president and general manager at motor car rival Cadillac, on July 9, 1941, in Christ Church Detroit. After World War II Ford was re-organized in the image of General Motors into profit centers and a line and staff components. The family claims the stock-B shares structure is justified because it takes the long view by focusing on Ford family interests and their continued involvement in Ford Motor Company affairs. Benson Ford Sr. (July 20, 1919 - July 27, 1978), originally named Edsel Ford Jr, was an American businessman in the automotive industry, a vice-president of Ford Motor Company, and national co-chairman of the National Conference of Christians and Jews.Benson Ford remains famous for: being the first prominent person in the Ford family to actively preach religious harmony between faiths . Years in Business: 63. 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