Superintendents at Ford Motor Company exercised unique power and authority over many aspects of manufacturing operations from the earliest days on Mack Avenue through the development of the massive Rouge River manufacturing complex. Generally, superintendents were men who had risen from the shop floor or tool room to become foremen and then department leaders. Superintendents would also jealously guard their specialized areas, sometimes to the detriment of the company. Each superintendent was responsible for labor relations, purchasing, production, accounting, reporting, and in certain instances even marketing and selling the final product. Each superintendent was indivdually responsible directly to Henry Ford and only indirectly to other superintendents in the company, and each was supported by administrative staff who maintained complex and wide-ranging reporting and filing organizations. The requirements of war-time production and government contract oversight initiated a modernization program that was regularized with Henry Ford II. After 1946 and continuing into the 1950s, the position and authority of the superintendent was redefined and brought into line with more modern interpretations of manufacturing organizations.
From the description of Superintendents Office (Ford Motor Company) records subgroup, 1888-1947 (bulk 1910-1940) (The Henry Ford). WorldCat record id: 85892862
