John Studebaker

Infobox Person
name= John Mohler Studebaker


caption= John Studebaker at work
birth_date= 1833
birth_place= Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
dead=dead
death_date= 1917
death_place=
occupation= Co-founder and president of the Studebaker Corporation
spouse=

John Mohler Studebaker (1833-1917) was the American co-founder and later executive of what would become the Studebaker Corporation automobile company. He was the third son of the founding Studebaker family and played a key role in the growth of the company during his years as president, from 1868 until his death in 1917.

Working career

John Mohler Studebaker was born in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania in 1833 to John S. and Rebecca Mohler Studebaker, [Biography from [http://www.germanheritage.com/biographies/mtoz/studebaker.html German Heritage] retrieved on March 11 2007] and taken to Ashland County, Ohio with his family in 1836. While the two elder brothers became blacksmiths John went to Placerville, California, lured by stories of the gold rush. [Studebaker Family History from [http://www.studebakerfamily.org/history.html this site] retrieved March 11 2007] After arriving, he realized that much mining employment in California had been taken, and he saw an opportunity for himself by providing for the miners themselves by producing wheelbarrows [Studebaker Family History from [http://www.studebakerfamily.org/history.html this site] retrieved March 11 2007] and earning himself the nickname of “Wheelbarrow Johnny”. [Automotive Hall of Fame, retrieved [http://www.automotivehalloffame.org/honors/index.php?cmd=view&id=703&type=inductees from here] on March 11 2007] [Studebaker Family History from [http://www.studebakerfamily.org/history.html this site] retrieved March 11 2007] The site of John's business is a now number 142 of California's Historic Landmarks.

John returned to South Bend, In 1852, and with his brothers, he incorporated the $8,000 he had made in California with that of his brothers in order to expand the Studebaker Wagon Corporation. [Studebaker Family History from [http://www.studebakerfamily.org/history.html this site] retrieved March 11 2007] They began to supply wagons for the Union Army in the American Civil War, becoming the Studebaker Brothers Manufacturing Company in 1868, with John as its president.

By 1901, John was the last remaining of the founding family at the age of 68, [Automotive Hall of Fame, retrieved [http://www.automotivehalloffame.org/honors/index.php?cmd=view&id=703&type=inductees from here] on March 11 2007] [Studebaker Family History from [http://www.studebakerfamily.org/history.html this site] retrieved March 11 2007] and after a visit to a motor show in Chicago, he visualized that electric cars (as opposed to gasoline) would be the future of the Studebaker company. In the following year, the company produced 20 vehicles, including one which John owned personally. [Automotive Hall of Fame, retrieved [http://www.automotivehalloffame.org/honors/index.php?cmd=view&id=703&type=inductees from here] on March 11 2007] [Studebaker Family History from [http://www.studebakerfamily.org/history.html this site] retrieved March 11 2007] Despite the fact that by 1908 the production of wagons was still more profitable for the company than the production of cars, John purchased a third of the Everitt Metzger Flanders Company, a forerunner to General Motors and entered into a distribution agreement. John also made a similar agreement with Garford of Elyria, Ohio, creating the Studebaker-Garford brandname. By 1909, Studebaker had made 9.5 million dollars from distributing cars manufactured by other companies, [Automotive Hall of Fame, retrieved [http://www.automotivehalloffame.org/honors/index.php?cmd=view&id=703&type=inductees from here] on March 11 2007] [Studebaker Family History from [http://www.studebakerfamily.org/history.html this site] retrieved March 11 2007] and John purchased the remainder of E.M.F in 1910, thus taking over the company. In 1911 the company became known as the Studebaker Corporation, and began to produce gasoline driven automobiles, however it retained the production of wagons and carriages. The company produced 750,000 automobiles in its history [Studebaker brothers' history [http://www.ccs.k12.in.us/mte/mt/HoosierWeb/HoosiersR-S/page10.html (CCS)] retrieved on March 11 2007] with John himself stating:

On the outbreak of World War I, John telegrammed United States president Woodrow Wilson to offer the Studemaker facilities as a site for war material production, and the company went on to manufacture military vehicles throughout the war. [Studebaker Family History from [http://www.studebakerfamily.org/history.html this site] retrieved March 11 2007] John was still serving as honorary president when he died in 1917, at aged 83. His name was added to the Automotive Hall of Fame.

References