Last week, we reported on the passing of William Clay Ford, long-standing patriarch of the Ford family and Director Emeritus of Ford Motor Company. In addition to being an outstanding leader and a pillar of the community in Dearborn, Michigan, Mr. Ford was also chairman of the design committee for more than half of his career.
One of his most notable accomplishments was overseeing the design of the Lincoln Continental Mark II. It was the successor to a car his father, Edsel Ford designed and put into production in 1939. Now, the Continental Mark II is still praised as one of the finest automobiles ever built.
In honor of Mr. Ford’s passion for design, Ford has announced that it will award $1 million in automotive design scholarships to carry on his legacy. Jim Vella, president of Ford Motor Company Fund and Community Services, says, “[Mr. Ford’s] creative vision transformed vehicle design at Ford. We are honoring William Clay Ford’s legacy by encouraging and supporting the next generation of innovative automotive designers through his scholarship.”
Current plans are to allot $50,000 a year for five scholarships of $10,000 each, which will be awarded to deserving sophomores and juniors seeking an automotive design degree. Ford wants to do everything it can to ensure the future of the automotive industry, and they know that helping today’s youths become leaders and achieve their goals is the best way to do it.
More details for the Ford automotive design scholarship will be announced later in the year, and Leith Ford will bring them to you once we know. You can read the full press release at the Ford News Center, here.