The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1922-11-27
CHAPTER XII
Tbs Ford Executive Scraphenp


The Ford Executive Scrapheap
One of the most conspicuous, in
teresting and significant things about
the Ford Motor company is It's execu-
tive scrapheap. Into 1t, from time
to time, have gone the most capable
men of the organization. men of high
character and great ability. the value
of whose services to the company has
been beyond estimate. old and loyal
friends of Henry Ford. intimate and
trusted business associates for years.
The story of the formation of this
scrapheap has never been written
perhaps never will be- Whatever the
causes of its formation, it seems a
fair inference to draw that ineffi-
cheney was not one of them in view
of the fact that the discard was not
made until after the company had
attained phenomenal success
The character of that serapheap is
such as to lend distinction to the man
who is cast upon it. He will find
himself in group OF men who arc
still carrying on in large and sue
eessful ways, men whose kindred ex-
reriences have given them an open
ana understanding heart, a sort of a
Ford Alumni association, post
graduate group who have taken the
third degree. doctors of q new phil
osophy not taught in the universities !;
a fraternal order, in which there is
a buoyant spirit of freedom. Its
doors are alwaysopen, night and day,
and the sentinel stands without, for
no one can tell when new bunch
of candidates NAV arriVa
If you begin to make inquiries
concerning the founders of the or
ganizatfon, the original stockholders
who financed Mr.. Ford in the be-
ginning, you will discover that not
one of them is associated with him
in the business today
Mr.. John S. Gray stakeholder and
first president of the company, died
while In office. He Is the only Ford
official of prominence so far as
know, removed by DEATH Others
have gone in other ways
Ford An Exception
The inventor who reaps the reward
of his labor is the exception M.
Ford is one of the outstanding 'ex-
ceptions. A minority stockholder in
the beginning. he gained a controll-
ing interest in short time through
the purchase of the Malcomson stock.
Some years later he acquired the
stock that remained In the hands of
its original holders. He paid liberal
ly for 1T. For every thousand put
into the business he returned mil
lions.
Whether he believed In stock com
panies or not, at the time the Ford
Motor company was organized, L do
not know. In after years he came
to regard them with disfavor. Stock
holders, his opinion, as he expressed
1t, were in danger of becoming para
sites" And SO in time the stock
holders went.
Mr.. James Couzens, original stock
holder, a director and an executive
in one capacity or another for II
years.
Mr.. John r. Dodge, original stock
holder, director and, for a time, vice
president of the company.
Mr.. Horace e. Dodge, original
stockholder and director
Mr.. John w. Anderson, original
stakeholder and director.
Mr.. Horace II. Rackham. original
stakeholder and director.
The Gray brothers, Philip. Paul and
David, stockholders following the
death OF their father, and David. a
director of the company.
Mr.. Alexander Y. Malcomson orig
inal stakeholder and for two years
treasurer of the COMPANY. made his
bow and exit shortly after the cur
tain went up on the first act. He
has the distinction of heading the
line in the great executive trek. He
was in reality the organizer and
founder OF the company. 1t was the
liberal financial backing which he
gave, together with the proceeds
from the sale of stock which he was
chiefly instrumental in placing. that
put the organization on its feet in
the beginning and made it a going
cor Germ.
Mr.. James Couzens. at present and
for some time mayor of Detroit, left
the company in 1915. He had entered
it at the time of it's organization as
bookkeeper, time clerk, PURCHASING
agent. sales manager and business
manager Down to the time of his
resignation he shared in the mind OF
the public, and Justly so. equal honors
with Mr.. Ford for the phenomenal
success of the company. Henry Ford
needed in his early years a man cap
able of managing his business and