Henry Ford, 53 years a Freemason, passed away this month in April 1947

News stories bringing the history of Essex Freemasons alive to a modern audience

April is the anniversary of the death of Henry Ford (30 July 1863 to 07 April 1947). In 1894 he became a Master Mason in Palestine Lodge No. 357 in Detroit and later joined Zion Lodge No. 1. He installed the first moving car assembly line at his Michigan factory in 1913. The time to produce a Model T car was reduced from 12 hours to 93 minutes.

Ford paid much higher wages than his competitors and reduced the working day to eight hours, so he was labelled a socialist whilst also reinventing capitalism. In 1915, before the USA entered the war, he organised the ‘Ford Peace Ship’, a group of pacifists who sailed to Europe to attempt mediation.

In 1918 he lost a campaign for the Senate. The Chicago Tribune labelled him as an ‘ignorant idealist’ but, by 1940 he had amassed a fortune in excess of one billion US dollars, worth about £17.5 billion today, much of which he gave to good causes in the community through his various charitable foundations.

Did you know? The concept and design of the Ford oval badge was created by an Essex Freemason 50 years ago. Designed to replace the individual letters ‘FORD’, prototypes for the planned new Fiesta (codenamed Bobcat) were given to Ford’s Styling and Engineering which was based at Dunton. After being approved by Henry Ford II, the new badge design was first used on an upgrade of the Granada Ghia, following which they were placed on the front and back of the new Fiesta and all Ford vehicles for nearly 50 years.  

Photos

Top: (L) Henry Ford quote, (M) An original Ford Oval badge prototype, (R) Henry Ford (centre) receiving the 33rd Degree in 1940, after 46 years in Freemasonry

Bottom: Henry Ford