[durasell]

He was something of an odd duck. The anti-semitism went beyond the usual Wall Street WASP variety. He actually paid to publish the protocols of the elders of zion in this country. Hitler actually had a signed picture of him up in his office. He was anti-union, but also weirdly intrusive into his employees' lives. His Sociological Dept. would actually inspect the homes of workers.

He was also a good engineer in both mechanical and organizational terms. Not many guys could go from tinkering in their garage to running a major corporation.

Unfortunately, we live in an age where people either want to hear fairytales about perfect beings or tout the flaws of notable individuals to denigrate their positive contributions. Both make for boring history.

[beaver fever]

"He actually paid to publish the protocols of the elders of zion in this country. Hitler actually had a signed picture of him up in his office."

Yeah I know that but US Steel was also doing business with Hitler through a partnership with Krupp until 1941 as did British Petroleum.

Jew hating was quite acceptable in the US and Canada in the pre war period.

[indcons]

WOW....I knew he was an anti-Semite and the bit about the protocols of the elders of zion.

As you rightly point out, history is rarely black/white; it includes several shades of gray.

[Clemenza]

Ford was also one of the first employers to put black employees on equal footing with whites, something the crackers who migrated from Appalachia found appaling. This was a key reason for the huge black migration to Detroit.

Don't quote me on this, but I believe he supported the NAACP financially as well.