Benson Ford remains famous for: being the first prominent person in the Ford family to actively preach religious harmony between faiths through his NCCJ co-chairmanship (in direct contrast to his grandfather Henry Ford); through the internationally famous Benson Ford Research Center in Dearborn, Michigan, which bears his name; and the now historic 1924 Great Lakes freighter Benson Ford Ship named after him, now known as the Benson Ford Shiphouse, in Put-In-Bay, Ohio. 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. Benson Ford was named a vice-president of the Ford Motor Company at a Ford Motor Company meeting on June 1, 1943. The Benson Ford Research Center remains closed to visitation by the general public and outside researchers during the Coronavirus Pandemic for in-person research, tours, visits, and educational programs, until further notice. Im not sure aluminum bodies are appropriate for trucks, Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne observed recently. He feels he got some terrible advice from Fuentes. Growing up, a neighbour I hardly knew had a 1972 coupe, and a 1968 coupe briefly occupied our garage while dad did some repairs for a friend. According to Rabbi Jason Miller, the Detroit-based founder of Kosher Michigan, a kosher certification agency, Fields does not have a membership at any synagogue in the Metro Detroit area. The rest are held by individual family members. Henry had the company; Bill had the Detroit Lions; and Benson headed Lincoln-Mercury from 1948 to 1955. . Henry II and Benson were given the use of Henry's chauffeur. The least known of Edsel Ford's sons. The large side panels were also perfect for after-market customization and the engine was easily modified to improve performance. The family would travel to Europe together every few years. 3 May 1957. I was scared out of my mind.''. It was in his tenure at the LincolnMercury Division that one of the highlights of his career occurred. [34][35] Benson Ford Sr.'s daughter Lynn Ford Alandt also remains active in Ford family affairs as: Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Edsel and Eleanor Ford House in Gross Pointe Shores; as a member of the Fair Lane Board of Trustees, home of Henry and Clara Ford now undergoing restoration; as a trustee at The Henry Ford Museum; as President of the Benson and Edith Ford Charitable Fund; and through the Lynn & Paul Alandt Charitable Foundation. As President of the hospital Board of Trustees, Benson was instrumental in securing a one hundred million dollar grant from the Ford Foundation in 1973. More . Square feet: 7,832 plus finished rec room . They could be killed, they would disappear, whatever. 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. In his lawsuit, Benson Ford, 36, claims that Fuentes gained his confidence and trust, then gained control of his $10 million in Ford Motor Co. stock and other assets while meting out to him. The rear fuel filler cap, which was typically adorned with the galloping pony logo, featured the initials "EBF II," for Edsel B. Ford II, great-grandson of company founder Henry Ford. They were allowed to run riot with Henry's blessing and encouragement. Henry's grandson William Clay Ford Sr. and his family have controlled the Detroit Lions franchise of the National Football League since late 1963. Newsom, Musk dedicate former HP headquarters in Palo Alto to Tesla engineers, Adam Levine sues classic car dealer, alleging his 1971 Maserati isnt the real deal. But, according to Reuters, during his last year at Ford, in 2013, Mulallys total annual compensation package, including performance bonuses, rose to $23.2 million. DETROIT Automobile heir Benson Ford Jr. has described, in sworn testimony, his involvement in the early 1980s in a ''team'' that he believed was prepared to kill anyone who tried to block his attempt to get on the Ford Motor Co. board of directors. The third result is Benson J Ford age 70s in Menomonee Falls, WI. Sales hours: 9:00am to 7:00pm. https://www.nytimes.com/1978/07/28/archives/benson-ford-59-dies-grandson-of-pioneering-car-manufacturer.html. Rafael Barba & Olivia Benson (12) Olivia Benson & Dominick "Sonny" Carisi Jr. (12) Amanda Rollins & Odafin "Fin" Tutuola (12) Exclude Additional Tags Friendship (28) Fluff (21) Angst (19) Established . He was married to Edith McNaughton. Benson was also noteworthy as being the one member of the Ford family most closely associated with Lincoln-Mercury, rather than Ford, where under Benson's guidance the experimental Lincoln Futura car was developed. Sheldrick took Edsel to watch the tests of the first completed jeep model, and arranged for Henry and Benson to drive it out of a patch of tall grass and underbrush right up to their father. The second best result is Benson A Ford age 80+ in Berkeley, CA in the La Loma Park neighborhood. Fords mother, Martha Firestone Ford, is a granddaughter of the tire-maker founder. It was a very warm, personal relationship, said David Lewis, a business history professor at the University of Michigan. William Clay Ford Jr. is paid well to look after his family's fortunes, although they have quickly fallen apart. Ford family lawyer Pierre Heftler said Benson Ford Jr. ''ought to be left alone,'' and declined to comment. Activities included driving gasoline powered cars scaled to their size, camp outs, tree climbing, and tending to a half-acre farm created by Henry for their use. She was sold in 1984 to be converted to a barge, but never came through. Benson Ford Jr. and Alfred "Alfie" Ford are great-grandsons of Henry. The living Ford family members control the company via ownership of a special class of stockB shares. This is a digitized version of an article from The Timess print archive, before the start of online publication in 1996. [17][18] Benson was very supportive of Henry II and always had the company's best interest at heart. Firestone said it would no longer sell tires to Ford; the automaker said that was fine since it had been sold defective tires. '', Asked if he thought there was anything wrong with that, he said: ''Yes, a little bit.'' She was the daughter of Lynn McNaughton, a former vice president and general sales manager of the Cadillac Motor Car Company. . The company has a history of attracting talented young executives. and a double-dome canopy roof. Mark has been Alans partner every step of the way, Bill Ford explained at the press conference announcing his appointment. I do not intend to fade away. Benson was an active photographer and golfer. He was awfully proud of his boys." This is a business about product first and foremost, Fields said. Too much. Dte Energy Company. Company officials said that the brothers were flying back to Detroit. 415 W Wade Hampton Blvd, Greer, SC 29650-1538. In a world where dynamic status is everything, an Alpha's integrity is theoretically uncompromisable. Adolf Hitler and other Nazis hailed Ford for his stand, and the Nazi Party distributed his book in translation widely throughout Germany. And when Williams cousin Benson Ford Jr., who called himself the familys black sheep, sued his mother in an attempt to overturn his fathers will, and charged his uncles William Clay Ford Sr. and Henry Ford II with mismanaging his assets. DBusiness Magazine-May 20, 2010. The family of Henry Ford is an American family from the U.S. state of Michigan, best known for their control of the Ford Motor Company automobile manufacturer, which was founded by Henry Ford in the early-twentieth century. The car was unique for its "fenderless" design and its large flat side panels. Hollywood customizer George Barris took notice, and eventually bought the Futura from Ford in 1959. ''Was your cousin, Edsel, one of those people?'' He made $16.7 million in 2019, $13.9 million in 2018, and $15.6 million in 2017. 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. Benson Ford Jr., 36, a great-grandson of Henry Ford I and nephew of Henry Ford II, is now working at the company for the first time. Both companies expect even bigger bills in coming months. They drove trains at the Rouge. The family has a pact that Class B shares put up for sale will first be offered to other family members. Any Alphas that fall short of such rigid expectations are often reviled and shunned. Get information, directions, products, services, phone numbers, and reviews on Benson Ford JR & Francee B Ford in Key Largo, undefined Discover more Business Services, NEC companies in Key Largo on Manta.com [6] Winters were often spent at their residence in Hobe Sound, Florida (north of Palm Beach). Automotive Oral Histories. Add a caption. '', Ford said ''the people on the steps'' were ''whoever got in the way of getting to the seat on the board.''. He was born in Lansing, earning cash as a teenager by fixing used televisions. Violence was part of that, he said. In addition to his wife and dauihter, Mr. Ford also leaves his son, Benson Jr., 29. This was followed in 1965 by the National Community Service Award of what is now the United Way for his long service at the national level in promoting united giving for community health and welfare services.[4]. Facebook Comments. She revealed to PEOPLE she and her wife Jesseca "Judy" Harris-Dupart, are expecting their first child . After joining the company in 1989, Fields moved quickly through a succession of jobs in marketing, his field of expertise when he joined, and then international operations. How much: $2.85 million. [4] The Fords enjoyed boating and owned several boats, including a succession of yachts named Onika. 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. To republish, copy the HTML by clicking on the yellow button to the right; it includes our tracking pixel, all paragraph styles and hyperlinks, the author byline and credit to the Forward. THE heirs pocketbooks may be immune, but theyre facing awkward encounters in their social calendars. After her husband's death, Edith was living on Lake Shore in Grosse Pointe Shores, Michigan. As expected, Benson Ford Jr. lost his bid to become a director by a resounding margin. By. Lookup the home address and phone 3053674270 and other contact details for this person Benson Ford Jr is a resident of Key Largo. With the improvements Lincoln captured the first four spots in 1954, the last year of the race. Once he left the Army, Benson returned to Ford Motor Company. Benson Ford Sr. Male1919-1978 Male Edith McNaughton Female1920-1980 Female MARRIAGE9 July 1941Grosse Pointe Farms, Wayne, Michigan, United States children (1) Benson Ford Jr Male- Male View All Parents and Siblings Edsel Bryant Ford Male1893-1943 Male Eleanor Lowthian Clay Female1896-1976 Female siblings (4) Henry Ford II 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. In a deposition taken last year by that law firm, Benson Ford, who is now trying to reconcile with the Ford family after years of bitter fighting, said that in 1980 he was part of a three-person ''team'' that included Fuentes and David Webster, who was not further identified. Asked what his understanding was, Ford said: ''They would disappear. In some places, the dealership would actually put copies of the newspaper in the car, so that when you drove off with your Model T, there you had on the seat next to you a copy of The Dearborn Independent, said Hasia Diner, a professor of Hebrew and Judaic studies and history at New York University, when interviewed for a biography of Ford in American Experience, a series on the Public Broadcasting Service. Copyright 2023 The Forward Association, Inc. All rights reserved. Ford is related to Elizabeth F Kontulis and Henry Ford as well as 3 additional people. Benson Ford was the second son of Edsel and Eleanor Ford and grandson of Henry and Clara Ford. The battle is also being felt personally by the hugely wealthy heirs of founders Henry Ford and. The institution's first collections website only included 500 artifacts - the very first being a 1929 Ford Model A Coupe used by Henry Ford. Then the U.S. government blindsided it, Tesla pauses rollout of driving software subject to U.S. recall. Baths: 5 full, 2 half. 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. It just looked fast. Their famous camping trips in the 1920s included Thomas Alva Edison and Presidents Warren Harding and Calvin Coolidge. This hurts a lot. The fourth cousin, Benson Ford Jr., was the black sheep of the clan. 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. William Clay Ford, Jr. also went by the nick-name of Bill. [8][9] The fun continued on Ford Motor Company property. 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 . Scores of heirs collect more than $200 million annually in dividends from various trusts. According to knowledgeable sources inside and outside the company, when they returned to Detroit in 2012, Fords wife didnt want to live in Detroit if her husband was going to still be traveling constantly. So Fieldss family today lives in Delray Beach, Fla. Michigan State Police officials said that Mr. Ford died about 1:10 A.M. One of his two children, Mrs. Lynn Alandt, 27, and her husband took Mrs. Ford back to the fimily's home in Grosse Pointe later this morning, the polite said. Da Brat is pregnant with her first child. Benson drove a 1950 Mercury convertible as the Indianapolis 500 pace car in 1950. In February 2006, Fields paid $4.2 million for a house there on East Seventh Avenue, and a Ford SEC filing notes Fields travels frequently to Miami. Article continues below advertisement Benson is very repentant, said Pierre Heftler, the Ford familys attorney. The canyon is now so deep and wide, its over. Column: Will self-driving cars make L.A.s world-famous traffic even worse? 12063. Tom Foote, a Ford Motor Co. spokesman, said he had no knowledge of Benson Ford`s comments. The Policy Board position was an ideal fit given his experience with Lincoln-Mercury and his personality. Bill Ford 1. 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. He also worked for religious tolerance and in 1951 was named Protestant national co-chair of the National Conference of Christians and Jews. According to Carroll, Fieldss mother would send him packages of matzo and Hanukkah candles during his postings around the world to remind him to keep up his Jewishness. Mr. Ford was a brother of Henry Ford 2d, the 60yearold chairman of the nation's No. The Ford family, which has 40 percent voting control of Ford, receives fixed dividends each year of $150.5 million, regardless of the companys stock price. Still, in 2006, the Ford heir passed over Fields when he picked Mulally for the CEO slot. He died on July 27, 1978 in Detroit. To preserve these articles as they originally appeared, The Times does not alter, edit or update them. 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. He even served as bodyguard to President Calvin Coolidge for a brief period. Part of his anti-Semitism was that Jews control but dont work. Categorized under Trust Services. 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. So, no matter who wins or loses Detroits unprecedented war of the wheels, the heirs trust-fund checks will keep coming, unaffected by the staggering losses expected on both sides of the corporate battle. Benson Ford, Jr Trust Dated J. Ford has lost $500 million on recalls. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, Musks master plan for Tesla is built around sustainable energy economy, Nissan recalls over 800,000 SUVs because of defect that can cut off engine, Mexicos president says Musk will build Tesla EV plant in northern Mexico, Hyundai was poised to become Teslas top contender. Allessandro F Uzielli Trust D. 2000 Brush Street Office. And they Said that his death was not expected to significantly alter family plans for what has been a gradual, but stormy, reorganization of the company's top management in preparation for the retirement of Henry Ford 2d. view all Benson Ford's Timeline After living in the Los Angeles area in the 1970s and early 1980s and involving himself in a number of failed business ventures with his former therapist and mentor, Louis Fuentes, Benson returned to the Detroit area in 1984. ''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. 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