William S. Knudsen facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
William Knudsen
|
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born | March 25, 1879 Copenhagen, Denmark |
| Died | April 27, 1948 (aged 69) Detroit, Michigan, United States |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Service/ |
 United States Army |
| Years of service | 1942–1945 |
| Rank |  Lieutenant General |
| Commands held | Director of War Production Air Technical Service Command |
| Battles/wars | World War II |
| Awards | Army Distinguished Service Medal (2), American Campaign Medal World War Two Victory Medal |
William Signius Knudsen (born March 25, 1879 – died April 27, 1948) was an important leader in the automotive industry. He was from Denmark but became an American citizen. During World War II, he became a general in the U.S. Army. He helped the United States make many important war supplies. His skills in managing large factories made him perfect for this job.
Contents
Early Life and Career
Knudsen was born in Copenhagen, Denmark. His full name was Signius Wilhelm Poul Knudsen. In February 1900, he moved to the United States. He arrived in New York City.
Knudsen started working for the John R. Keim Company. This company made bicycle and auto parts in Buffalo, New York. In 1911, the Ford Motor Company bought this company. Ford wanted Keim's experience with shaping steel.
Knudsen worked at Ford from 1911 to 1921. During this time, the modern assembly line was developed. This new way of working allowed for true mass production. Knudsen became very good at mass production and managing large teams. After Ford, he worked for General Motors starting in 1921. He was the president of the Chevrolet Division from 1924 to 1937. Then, he became the president of General Motors from 1937 to 1940.
Helping with World War II
In 1940, U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt asked Knudsen for help. The President wanted Knudsen to come to Washington to help with war production. Knudsen was made Chairman of the Office of Production Management. He also joined the National Defense Advisory Commission. For this important work, he received a salary of just $1 per year.
In January 1942, Knudsen joined the U.S. Army. He was given the rank of lieutenant general. This was very unusual because he was a civilian joining at such a high rank. He was named Director of Production for the War Department. In this role, he advised and solved problems for the military.
Knudsen used his vast experience in manufacturing. He helped the country produce more war supplies than ever before. For example, the production of machine tools tripled. In 1939, the U.S. military made less than 3,000 planes. By the end of the war, America had produced over 300,000 planes. The Boeing B-29 Superfortress bomber greatly benefited from his guidance. Production of both cargo and Navy ships also grew very quickly.
Knudsen's work made it easier for the government to buy supplies. He also encouraged companies that had never made military items to start doing so. America produced more than its enemies. Knudsen famously said, "We won because we smothered the enemy in an avalanche of production."
In July 1944, he became the Director of the Air Technical Service Command. This command was based at Patterson Field, Ohio. He served in the Army until he resigned on June 1, 1945.
Personal Life
William Knudsen was featured on the cover of Time magazine on October 7, 1940. He was a member of Epiphany Lutheran Church in Detroit. He gave a lot of money to church projects in the Detroit area. This included buildings for Epiphany Lutheran Church and other churches. Knudsen's son, Semon "Bunkie" Knudsen, also became a well-known leader in the car industry.
Awards and Recognition
Knudsen received several important awards for his work.
- In 1941, he was given the Vermilye Medal by the Franklin Institute.
- The Kingdom of Denmark made him a Knight of the Order of the Dannebrog in 1930. He was promoted to Grand Cross of the Order of the Dannebrog in 1946.
- In 1968, he was added to the Automotive Hall of Fame.
- His daughter created a scholarship in honor of her parents.
- He received the Distinguished Service Medal twice. He got it in 1944 and again in 1945 for his service in the U.S. Army during World War II.
- He also received the American Campaign Medal and the World War II Victory Medal for his service during the war.
  |
 |
 |
| Distinguished Service Medal with oak leaf cluster | American Campaign Medal | World War II Victory Medal |
Images for kids
-
Lieutenant General rank insignia
See also
In Spanish: William S. Knudsen para niños
