Date: 4-8-01
PEOPLE IN AMERICA #1816 - HENRY FORD - PT. 1
By RICHARD THORMAN
ANNCR:
PEOPLE IN AMERICA -- A PROGRAM IN SPECIAL ENGLISH ON THE VOICE OF
AMERICA.
EVERY WEEK AT THIS TIME, WE TELL THE STORY OF A PERSON WAS
IMPORTANT IN THE HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES. TODAY STEVE EMBER
AND FRANK OLIVER BEGIN THE STORY OF INDUSTRIALIST HENRY FORD.
(THEME)
VOICE ONE:
MANY PEOPLE BELIEVE HENRY FORD INVENTED THE AUTOMOBILE. BUT
HENRY FORD DID NOT START TO BUILD HIS FIRST CAR UNTIL
EIGHTEEN-NINETY-SIX. THAT WAS ELEVEN YEARS AFTER TWO GERMANS --
GOTTLIEB DAIMLER AND KARL BENZ -- DEVELOPED THE FIRST
GASOLINE-POWERED AUTOMOBILE.
MANY PEOPLE BELIEVE HENRY FORD INVENTED THE FACTORY SYSTEM THAT
MOVED A CAR'S PARTS TO THE WORKER, INSTEAD OF MAKING THE WORKER
MOVE TO THE PARTS. THAT IS NOT TRUE, EITHER. MANY MANUFACTURERS
USED THIS SYSTEM BEFORE FORD.
WHAT HENRY FORD DID WAS TO USE OTHER PEOPLE'S IDEAS AND MAKE THEM
BETTER.
OTHERS MADE CARS. HENRY FORD MADE BETTER CARS. AND HE SOLD THEM
FOR LESS MONEY. OTHERS BUILT CAR FACTORIES. HENRY FORD BUILT THE
BIGGEST FACTORY OF ITS TIME. AND HE MADE THE WHOLE FACTORY A
MOVING PRODUCTION LINE.
HENRY FORD HAD GREAT SKILLS IN MAKING MACHINES WORK. HE ALSO HAD
GREAT SKILLS AS AN ORGANIZER. HIS EFFORTS PRODUCED A HUGE
MANUFACTURING COMPANY. BUT THOSE SAME EFFORTS ALMOST RUINED THE
COMPANY HE BUILT.
VOICE TWO:
HENRY FORD WAS BORN ON A FARM IN THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ON JULY
THIRTIETH, EIGHTEEN-SIXTY-THREE. THE FARM WAS NEAR THE CITY OF
DETROIT.
HENRY WAS ALWAYS INTERESTED IN MACHINES. HE WAS ALWAYS
EXPERIMENTING WITH THEM. HE ENJOYED FIXING CLOCKS. AND HE
HELPED REPAIR FARM EQUIPMENT. WHEN HENRY WAS SIXTEEN YEARS OLD,
HE LEFT THE FAMILY FARM. HE WENT TO DETROIT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT
MACHINES.
IN EIGHTEEN-SEVENTY-NINE, WHEN HENRY BEGAN WORK IN DETROIT, THE
CITY WAS A CENTER OF INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT. TRAVELLERS COULD
TELL THEY WERE NEAR DETROIT BY THE CLOUD OF SMOKE THAT HUNG OVER
THE CITY. DETROIT WAS A CENTER OF IRON AND STEEL MAKING.NEARBY
MINES OF LEAD AND SALT BROUGHT CHEMICAL COMPANIES TO THE CITY.
AND DETROIT'S COPPER AND BRASS BUSINESS WAS THE LARGEST IN THE
WORLD.
ONE THING HENRY FORD LEARNED IN DETROIT WAS TO HAVE THE RIGHT
TOOL TO DO THE JOB. IT WAS SOMETHING HE WOULD NEVER FORGET.
VOICE ONE :
AFTER THREE YEARS IN DETROIT, HENRY RETURNED TO HIS FAMILY FARM.
HE REMAINED ON THE FARM UNTIL HE WAS THIRTY YEARS OLD. BUT HE
WAS NOT A REAL FARMER. HE WAS A MACHINE MAN. A NEARBY FARMER,
FOR EXAMPLE, HAD BOUGHT A SMALL STEAM ENGINE TO BE USED IN
FARMING. THE MACHINE DID NOT WORK CORRECTLY. HENRY AGREED TO TRY
TO FIX IT. AT THE END OF JUST ONE DAY, HENRY KNEW EVERYTHING
ABOUT THE MACHINE. AND HE MADE IT WORK AGAIN.
HENRY REMEMBERED THAT TIME AS THE HAPPIEST IN HIS LIFE. HE SAID:
"I WAS PAID THREE DOLLARS A DAY, AND HAD EIGHTY-THREE DAYS OF
STEADY WORK. I HAVE NEVER BEEN BETTER SATISFIED WITH MYSELF."
ANOTHER THING THAT MADE THOSE DAYS HAPPY WAS MEETING A YOUNG
WOMAN. HER NAME WAS CLARA JANE BRYANT. YEARS LATER HENRY SAID:
"I KNEW IN HALF AN HOUR SHE WAS THE ONE FOR ME." THEY WERE
MARRIED IN EIGHTEEN-EIGHTY-EIGHT, ON CLARA'S TWENTY-SECOND
BIRTHDAY.
VOICE TWO:
HENRY AND CLARA LIVED ON A FARM NEAR DETROIT. BUT, STILL, HENRY
WAS NOT A REAL FARMER. HE GREW SOME FOOD IN A SMALL GARDEN.AND
HE KEPT A FEW ANIMALS. BUT HE MADE MONEY MOSTLY BY SELLING TREES
FROM HIS FARM. AND HE CONTINUED TO FIX FARM EQUIPMENT.IT WAS
REALLY MACHINES THAT HE LOVED.
IN EIGHTEEN-NINETY-ONE, HENRY VISITED DETROIT. THERE HE SAW A
MACHINE CALLED THE "SILENT OTTO." IT WAS A DEVICE POWERED BY
GASOLINE. IT HAD BEEN DEVELOPED BY A GERMAN, NIKOLAUS AUGUST
OTTO. HE WAS ONE OF THE MEN WHO HAD WORKED WITH GOTTLIEB
DAIMLER, WHO DEVELOPED THE FIRST GASOLINE-POWERED AUTOMOBILE.
THE SILENT OTTO DID NOT MOVE. BUT HENRY SAW IMMEDIATELY THAT IF
THE MACHINE COULD BE PUT ON WHEELS, IT WOULD MOVE BY ITSELF.
HE RETURNED HOME TO CLARA WITH AN IDEA TO BUILD SUCH A MACHINE.
HE WAS SURE HE COULD DO IT. BUT THE MACHINE WOULD NEED
ELECTRICITY TO MAKE THE ENGINE WORK. AND HENRY HAD NOT LEARNED
ENOUGH ABOUT ELECTRICITY. SO HE TOOK A JOB WITH AN ELECTRIC
POWER COMPANY IN DETROIT. HENRY, HIS WIFE CLARA, AND HIS YOUNG
SON EDSEL MOVED TO THE CITY.
VOICE ONE:
WHILE HENRY WORKED FOR THE POWER COMPANY, HE AND A FEW OTHER MEN
DEVELOPED A SMALL ENGINE. IN JUNE, EIGHTEEN-NINETY-SIX, HENRY
HAD HIS FIRST AUTOMOBILE. HE CALLED IT A "QUADRICYCLE."IT
LOOKED LIKE TWO BICYCLES, SIDE BY SIDE. IT HAD THIN TIRES LIKE A
BICYCLE. AND IT HAD A BICYCLE SEAT.
IN EIGHTEEN-NINETY-NINE, HENRY RESIGNED FROM THE POWER COMPANY TO
WORK ON HIS AUTOMOBILE. HE WON THE SUPPORT OF A SMALL GROUP OF
RICH MEN WHO FORMED THE DETROIT AUTOMOBILE COMPANY. BY THE START
OF NINETEEN-OH-ONE, HOWEVER, THE COMPANY HAD FAILED.
ANOTHER MAN MIGHT HAVE DECIDED THAT THE AUTOMOBILE BUSINESS WAS
NOT THE BEST BUSINESS FOR HIM. HE MIGHT HAVE STOPPED. HENRY
FORD WAS JUST GETTING STARTED.
VOICE TWO:
IN THE EARLY DAYS OF THE AUTOMOBILE, ALMOST EVERY CAR-MAKER RACED
HIS CARS. IT WAS THE BEST WAY OF GAINING PUBLIC NOTICE.HENRY
FORD DECIDED TO BUILD A RACING CAR.
FORD'S MOST FAMOUS RACE WAS HIS FIRST. IT ALSO WAS THE LAST RACE
IN WHICH HE DROVE THE CAR HIMSELF.
THE RACE WAS IN NINETEEN-OH-ONE, AT A FIELD NEAR DETROIT. ALL OF
THE MOST FAMOUS CARS HAD ENTERED. AND ALL WITHDREW, EXCEPT TWO.
THE WINTON. AND FORD'S. THE WINTON WAS FAMOUS FOR ITS SPEED.
MOST PEOPLE THOUGHT THE RACE WAS OVER BEFORE IT BEGAN.
THE WINTON TOOK AN EARLY LEAD. BUT HALFWAY THROUGH THE RACE, IT
BEGAN TO LOSE POWER. FORD STARTED TO GAIN. AND NEAR THE END OF
THE RACE, HE TOOK THE LEAD. FORD WON THE RACE AND DEFEATED THE
CHAMPION. HIS NAME APPEARED IN NEWSPAPERS. HIS FAME BEGAN TO
SPREAD.
VOICE ONE:
WITHIN WEEKS OF THE RACE, HENRY FORD FORMED A NEW AUTOMOBILE
COMPANY. HE LEFT SOON AFTER, HOWEVER, BECAUSE HE COULD NOT AGREE
WITH THE INVESTORS. HE HAD NO TROUBLE FINDING NEW ONES.
HENRY CONTINUED TO BUILD RACING CARS. HIS MOST FAMOUS CARS OF
THE TIME WERE THE "ARROW" AND THE "NINE-NINETY-NINE." BOTH WON
RACES. AND THEY HELPED MAKE THE NAME HENRY FORD MORE FAMOUS.
HENRY USED WHAT HE LEARNED FROM RACING TO DEVELOP A BETTER
ENGINE. IN NINETEEN-OH-THREE, HE WAS READY TO START BUILDING
CARS FOR THE PUBLIC. ON JULY FIFTEENTH, NINETEEN-OH-THREE, A MAN
NAMED DOCTOR PFENNING BOUGHT THE FIRST CAR FROM THE FORD MOTOR
COMPANY.
VOICE TWO:
THE SALE TO DOCTOR PFENNING WAS THE BEGINNING OF A HUGE NUMBER OF
REQUESTS FOR FORD CARS. BY THE END OF MARCH, NINETEEN-OH-FOUR,
ALMOST SIX-HUNDRED FORD CARS HAD BEEN SOLD. THE COMPANY HAD
EARNED ALMOST ONE-HUNDRED-THOUSAND DOLLARS. SALES WERE SO GREAT
THAT A NEW FACTORY HAD TO BE FOUND.
AT THE START OF NINETEEN-OH-FIVE, THE FORD MOTOR COMPANY WAS
PRODUCING TWENTY-FIVE CARS EACH DAY. IT EMPLOYED THREE-HUNDRED
MEN. THE COMPANY PRODUCED SEVERAL KINDS OF CARS. FIRST THERE
WAS THE "MODEL A." THEN THERE WERE THE "MODEL B," "MODEL C" AND
"MODEL F." THEY WERE JUST A LITTLE DIFFERENT FROM THE "MODEL A"
-- ONE OF FORD'S MOST FAMOUS CARS.
FORD'S "MODEL K" CAR WAS FOR WEALTHY BUYERS. ONE OF THE
COMPANY'S INVESTORS WAS SURE THE FUTURE OF THE AUTOMOBILE
INDUSTRY WAS IN THIS COSTLY CAR. HENRY FORD DID NOT AGREE.HE
WAS SURE THE FUTURE OF THE AUTOMOBILE INDUSTRY WAS IN A
LOW-PRICED CAR FOR THE GENERAL PUBLIC. HE SAID THEN, AND MANY
TIMES AFTER, "I WANT TO MAKE A CAR THAT ANYBODY CAN BUY."
VOICE TWO:
THESE CONFLICTING BELIEFS LED TO A BATTLE FOR CONTROL OF THE
COMPANY. IN THE END, HENRY BOUGHT THE STOCK OF THE INVESTORS WHO
WANTED TO MAKE COSTLY CARS. HE WAS THEN FREE TO MAKE THE
LOW-COST CAR HE BELIEVED IN.
THE STORY SHOWS THE WAY HENRY'S MIND WORKED. WHEN HE THOUGHT HE
WAS CORRECT, HE WAS WILLING TO INVEST HIS EFFORTS AND HIS MONEY.
EARLIER, HE HAD WALKED AWAY FROM THE BUSINESS OF MAKING CARS WHEN
HE COULD NOT CONTROL THE BUSINESS. NOW HE HAD THE MONEY TO BUY
THE STOCK OF THOSE WHO DISAGREED WITH HIM.
VOICE ONE:
IN NINETEEN-OH-SEVEN, HENRY FORD SAID: "I WILL BUILD A MOTOR CAR
FOR THE GREAT MASS OF PEOPLE. IT WILL BE LARGE ENOUGH FOR THE
FAMILY, BUT SMALL ENOUGH FOR ONE PERSON TO OPERATE AND CARE FOR.
IT WILL BE BUILT OF THE BEST MATERIALS. IT WILL BE BUILT BY THE
BEST MEN TO BE EMPLOYED. AND IT WILL BE BUILT WITH THE SIMPLEST
PLANS THAT MODERN ENGINEERING CAN PRODUCE. IT WILL BE SO LOW IN
PRICE THAT NO MAN MAKING GOOD MONEY WILL BE UNABLE TO OWN ONE."
THAT WAS WHAT HENRY FORD WANTED. TO REACH HIS GOAL, HIS LIFE
TOOK MANY INTERESTING TURNS. THAT WILL BE OUR STORY NEXT WEEK.
(THEME)
VOICE TWO:
YOU HAVE BEEN LISTENING TO THE SPECIAL ENGLISH PROGRAM PEOPLE IN
AMERICA. YOUR NARRATORS WERE STEVE EMBER AND
FRANK OLIVER. OUR PROGRAM WAS WRITTEN BY RICHARD THORMAN.
I'M RAY FREEMAN.
Source: www.voa.gov/special/