Hickman Price, Jr. was born on August 14, 1911, in Nashville, Tennesee. He attended Taft School, Philips Exeter Academy, and Columbia University. From 1932 to 1934, he assisted his father as a young man farming wheat in the Texas Panhandle; he then moved on to become a member of the Bankers Trust Company in New York City. After leaving here in 1941, he was appointed chief of the American Economic Mission to the Belgian Congo. Upon returning in 1945, Price was named executive assistant to the president, Graham-Paige Motors Corp. From 1945 to 1952, he was vice president and director of the Kaiser-Frazer Corporation in Willow Run, Michigan. In 1952, Price became president and director of Willys Overland Export Corp., and Willys Overland of Canada, Ltd. In 1954, he was named to be vice president of Willys Motors Inc.
Hickman Price Jr. was a notable figure in the post-war automotive industry. Because of his leadership position with Kaiser-Frazer and Willys Overland, Price helped shape the character of the overseas car market. Widely respected as a businessman, Price was also an influential social and political figure. He was an active Democrat and a staunch supporter of Governor G. Mennen Williams of Michigan and of the presidential aspirations of Adlai Stevenson and John F. Kennedy. Often consulted on matters of relations between the United States and Brazil, Price shared his expertise with members of the Kennedy administration. He further served his country with his appointment as Assistant Secretary of Commerce, a position he held from 1961 to 1963.
From the guide to the Hickman Price, Jr. Papers, 1918-1968, (Bentley Historical Library University of Michigan)
