Evening star., 1942-06-28
Work Will Win War,
Declares Busy Chief
Of Packard
George T. Christopher,
Coal Miners Son,
Builds Motors
BY DAVID ]. WILkIE,
Wide World Automotive Editor

mobile factory that sprawls over
several hundred acres of Detroit S
upper east side the son Of a one
time Indiana coal miner is directing
one of the most successful wartime
'work-to-win' programs in in
dustry's battle of production.
He is George T. Christopher a
53-year-old, broad-shouldered cleo
trlcal engineer and manufacturing
genius. recently named president and
general manager of the Packard
Motor Car Co.
IF work can do it, we'll do it." he
tays of United Nations prospects ot
winning the war.
Substantial seems to be the word
for Christopher. Standing close to
6 feet in height, he weighs about
200 pounds. A broad, ruddy face is
given added attractiveness by bushy
blond brows that top his blue eyes
behind rimless SpectacleS. There is
an almost constant twinkle in his
eyes.
AS tangible evidence OF what the
Awork-to-Win' program is achieving
Christopher points to an ever-groW-
ing volume of massive, precision
built power plants rolling from the
factory for Army and Navy opera
tions overseas. In the parlance of
the experts, they are sweet jobs
Precision by the Pound.
you're building fine watches by
the pound one old-time industrial
ist exclaimed upon being shown
through the factory for the first time
since production attained mass pro-
portions.
The remark pleased Christopher;
some Of his fellow manufacturers
had said he couldn't put the highly
refined engines into volume pro-
duction.
Friendly, affable and frank, the
quiet-spoken Christopher is one of
the best-liked of automotive indus
try executives.
In the factory. where he stops fire.
1uently to chat with the men, and in
the offices. the company president S
fellow workers tell you that they
don't make them any better than
George Christopher-he's a human
being who understands every other
human being"
Christopher was born in log
cabin outside Terre Haute. Ind. He
was educated in the grade and high
schools of Terre Haute and attended
Rose Polytechnic Institute, graduat-
ing in 1911 with a degree in cleo
trical engineering.
He is a master mechanic and can
talk expertly about metallurgy, the
characteristic of most materials that
60 into car and engine construction,
welding and brazing. manufacturing
process generally and design tech
nlcalities.
Served as Apprentice.
1t was a 17-cent -an-hour ap-
premiership that taught him the
rudiments of manufacturing proc
esses. He took the apprenticeship
despite his electrical engineering de-
gree because he wanted to know
something more than the college
course gave him.
Part of the apprenticeship job, Il
he explained, was to keep the ma
chine of one of the workers clean
to make his job progressively easier.
Il never told anybody around the
place that 1 was a college graduate.
Sometimes problems would arise that
stumped some of the more skilled
workers. I never horned in, but
once in a while I'd tell Andy, the
boss, that l thought I could work
1t out l usually did, with trigonom-
etry that most of the others didn't
understand or recognize anyway
The twinkle in Christopher's eyes
deepens a little as he explains that
Il Just didn't think it would do me
any good among those fellows to
boast of my college degree
Christopher came into the motor
car business in 1917 as shop super
lntendent of the old Standard Man
ufacturing Co. at Terre Haute, then
making automobile wheels, hubs and
drums. He took time out to serve
as first lieutenant of Army Ord
nance in the last war Subsequently
he held various factory executive
positions with Delco-Remy, Olds-
mobile, Pontiac and Buick.
Joined Packard in 1884.
He Joined Packard in 1884 as
assistant vice president of manufac-
turing, became vice president in 1885
and was chosen president and gen.
eral manager in April, 1912.
In informal conversation Christie
pher shows distinct preference for
simple phraseology. Not infrequent-
" he drops a final &c" and occa-
sionally an "ain't" slips in.
The Packard president and gen.
eral manager has no illusions about
the postwar job that will face the
ccr industry now converted to war
production. He believes it will re-
cuire six to nine months for the
industry to get back into peacet.me
stride. He thinks NOBODY at THIS
time safely can forecast the type Of
automobile that will grow out Of the
war and that management will have
to indulge in lot of guessing to be
ready for peace when it comes.
He feels convinced only that 1912
models will 60 back into production
temporarily with the end Of the
conflict and that the longer it lasts
the longer it will take to resume
peacetime output. That, he eX-
plains, is because the war is making
ever-increasing demands on the pro-
duction capacity and facilities of the
industry.
For relief from ~the risors of his
lob, Christopher flies to a 435-acre
farm which he and his wife-the
former Marie Morrison of Terre
Haute-own at Tipp City. Ohio. near
Dayton. There he specializes in
Hereford cattle and Hampshire hogs
Not infrequently he mounts the
drivers seat Of a tractor to prepare
an alfalfa field.
Gave Up Golf.