Henry Ford

1863- 1947

American Inventor

Automobile pioneer Henry Ford was born in Greenfield Township Michigan on July 30, 1863. He was extremely good with machinery and worked for a while as a machinist. In 1893 he became chief engineer of Edison Illuminating Company. He founded Detroit Automobile Company in 1898 bus dissolved the company three years later. He kept experimenting with car designs and eventually his Ford Motor Company was established in 1903. The model T was introduced in 1908. Over 15 million Model T Fords were sold between 1908 and 1923.

Ford was an isolationist who opposed entry into both World Wars but did allow his plants to be used for the manufacture of war material. Ford and his son, Edsel, were also responsible for the creation of the Ford Foundation, one of the world's richest philanthropic entities.