Inducted into the Michigan Walk of Fame on May 25, 2006, Henry Ford transformed America by creating “a motor car for the great multitude.” Always more interested in tinkering with machinery than in working on his parents’ Dearborn farm, Ford gravitated toward the young auto industry in the 1890s. 

As a young professional, Ford worked for the Edison Illumination Company, being promoted to Chief Engineer in 1893. The Chief Engineer position provided Ford with enough capital to experiment with combustible engines. The Model T, introduced in 1908, was reasonably priced, simple to operate and easy to maintain. Tremendous demand for the car led Ford to make production changes resulting in the moving assembly line. The $5-a-day wage he offered in 1914 was equally unprecedented.

Ford created the Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village to preserve our American experience and heritage. Upon his death, Ford generously left a considerable amount of company stock to the Ford Foundation – in part creating one of the wealthiest foundations in the world.