The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1943-05-26
EDSEL FORD
Continued from Page one)

brick house In Bagley, now the
heart of Detroit's downtown dis
trict. His father at the time was
employed at $50 a week in the en-
CINE room of the Detroit Edison
plant and had just completed in
his off hours, his first gasoline
driven "horseless carriage"
When Edsel became old enough
he was sent to the public schools.
He finished the grade schools at
IA, and was then sent to the De-
troit University School. Gradual
ed from the latter institution he
look up his training in his fathers
plant instead of going to college.
Edsel Ford was married Novem-
Der l, 1916, to Miss Eleanor Clay,
a niece of ]. L. Hudson, one Of
Detroit's leading merchants and
philanthropists. They had four
children-Henry Ford H., born in
1918; Benson Ford, in 1920; Flea
nor Clay Ford in 1922, and William
Clay Ford in 1925.
Edsei was largely responsible
for the interest taken by his IA
Their in aviation, and persuaded
him to undertake the development
OF airplane manufacturing at
Dearborn, site of the parent plant
OF the Ford company. He offered
the Edsel B. Ford prize for the
annual national air tour, and spon-
sored and contributed very large
ly to the expedition of Command
er Richard E. Byrd to the South
Pole in 1929-1930.
He was a member of Detroit's
art commission, made a number
OF notable gifts to the Detroit Art
Institute and was a memberiof
numerous Detroit clubs and the
New York Yacht Club.
Edsel Ford's first official post
with the Ford Motor company
was that of secretary, an assign
ment his father made for him in
1915. Stories are told how. in
the course of training he had
mapped out for his son, Henry
Ford frequently would go into
the plant, create some situation
that would be difficult to adjust
or handle from an administrative
viewpoint and then walk off
and leave it for the son to dis
cover and adjust.
Probably nothing that trans
pired in his career caused Edsel
Ford as much unpleasantness-
certainly nothing caused him as
much publicity-as the move.
ment to obtain his exemption
from the world war draft. Those
close to him pictured him as
deeply hurt by a general mis-
understanding" of his position.
In congress democrats and re-
publicans took opposing positions
and shouted for and against his
exemption. The elder Ford at
the time was regarded as a demo-
crat and soon was to run f.,
United States senator on the
democratic ticket. Republicans
held Edseps name up to ridicule
while democrats praised him
and argued that he could serve
his country best by staving at
home and turning out the
guns.
Supporting the statement that
Edsel personally wanted to 90
overseas, one man close to Hen
~ Ford told of a suggestion that
had been made that Edsel be
taken into the draft, made al,
officer, and be sent back home
to conduct the Ford war indus
tries.
There is one job in this war;
ne quoted Edsel as saying, that
| do not want and will not take
and that is the job of a rich
mans son. | honestly believe !
can render my greatest service
here. But, If the men who have
my case in charge think l am
mistaken and can do greater
service elsewhere, then / want
to go to France. I'd rather be
IN the trenches than holding
down a swivel chair"
Aside from his connection with
the motor and airplane indus.
tries, Edsel Ford's greatest in
terest, SO far as public nantes
tation was concerned, apparent
iy was in the Detroit Institute of
Arts. He gave generously to
the institute and his donation oil
funds in addition to numerous
works of art, made possible the
carrying on of work that other
wise would have been suspend.
ed in 1891 and 1882.
Edsel Ford was interested ir
sports and drove occasionally in
speedboat regattas. In 1892 he
acted as pace-maker for the In.
dianapolis speedway races or
Memorial day, setting a pace d
close to 20 miles an hour.
With his family Edsel spen
considerable time during tn,
summer months at a home a
Seal Harbor, Maine, a hug,
stone structure built at cost o
upwards of $3,000,0O0. Their,
was also a country home neal
Milford, Mich, built on severa
thousand acres of land, wher.