Roy D. Chapin: The Man Behind the Hudson Motor Car Company (Great Lakes Books Series)

"John Cuthbert Long's Roy D. Chapin is a thorough and detailed biography of a remarkable, but little-known Detroit automobile industry pioneer. Historians should include Roy Dikeman Chapin (February 23, 1880–February 16, 1936) in any listing of significant American auto industry pioneers, along with the Duryea brothers, Ransom E. Olds, Henry Leland, Henry Ford, William C. Durant, and the Dodge brothers. Outside the cloister of automotive historians, Roy Chapin is an unknown. This is in part because no company or car bore his name. Unlike many contemporary auto pioneers, Roy Chapin was a modest man who did not promote himself. Even Long's superb biography of Chapin is not well-known because it was privately printed in 1945 with a small press run. In reprinting this volume, Wayne State University Press is making an important contribution to automotive history." ―From the introduction by Charles K. Hyde, Department of History, Wayne State University

John Cuthbert Long’s Roy D. Chapin is a thorough and detailed biography of a remarkable, but little-known Detroit automobile industry pioneer. Historians should include Roy Dikeman Chapin (February 23, 1880–February 16, 1936) in any listing of significant American auto industry pioneers, along with the Duryea brothers, Ransom E. Olds, Henry Leland, Henry Ford, William C. Durant, and the Dodge brothers. Outside the cloister of automotive historians, Roy Chapin is an unknown. This is in part because no company or car bore his name. Unlike many contemporary auto pioneers, Roy Chapin was a modest man who did not promote himself. Even Long’s superb biography of Chapin is not well-known because it was privately printed in 1945 with a small press run. In reprinting this volume, Wayne State University Press is making an important contribution to automotive history.

-From the introduction by Charles K. Hyde, Department of History, Wayne State University

Cover Title Page Copyright Dedication TABLE OF CONTENTS List of Illustrations Foreword Introduction Preface to the 1945 Edition I. BLAZING THE TRAILS OF TOMORROW II. A GRASS-ROOTS BOYHOOD III. UNIVERSITY DAYS IV. DETROIT-TO-NEW YORK PIONEER TOUR V. REVOLT AT OLDSMOBILE VI. LAUNCHING HIS FIRST COMPANY VII. OUT OF DEBT AND ON THEIR WAY VIII. CHALMERS-DETROIT, AND BEGINNINGS OF HUDSON IX. FORECASTING FUTURE TRENDS X. ON THEIR OWN AT LAST XI. A MILLIONAIRE AT THIRTY XII. WEDNESDAY IN GEORGIA XIII. HUDSON'S GROWING PAINS XIV WITH PERSHING ON THE BORDER XV. PIONEER IN MOTOR TRANSPORT XVI. RUNNING AMERICA'S ROAD TRAFFIC XVII. WARTIME WASHINGTON XVIII. BIRTH OF THE ESSEX XIX. AMERICA WELCOMES THE CLOSED CAR XX. FINANCIAL CLIMAX XXI. NEW HOMES FOR OLD XXII. LEADER OF THE AUTOMOBILE INDUSTRY XXIII. END OF AN ERA XXIV. SECRETARY OF COMMERCE XXV. AGAIN AT THE HUDSON WHEEL XXVI. BUILDING FOR TOMORROW Index