[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 100 Introduced in Senate (IS)]






108th CONGRESS
  1st Session
S. RES. 100

  Recognizing the 100th anniversary year of the founding of the Ford 
    Motor Company, which has been a significant part of the social, 
  economic, and cultural heritage of the United States and many other 
  nations, and a revolutionary industrial and global institution, and 
        congratulating Ford Motor Company for its achievements.


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                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             March 26, 2003

Mr. McConnell (for himself, Mr. Levin, Mr. Allen, Mr. Dayton, Mr. 
        Bunning, Mr. Miller, Mr. Chambliss, Ms. Stabenow, Mr. Coleman, 
        Mr. Durbin, Mr. DeWine, Mr. Voinovich, and Mr. Warner) 
        submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the 
        Committee on the JudiciaryYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY

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                               RESOLUTION


 
  Recognizing the 100th anniversary year of the founding of the Ford 
    Motor Company, which has been a significant part of the social, 
  economic, and cultural heritage of the United States and many other 
  nations, and a revolutionary industrial and global institution, and 
        congratulating Ford Motor Company for its achievements.

Whereas on June 16, 1903, then 39 year-old Henry Ford and 11 associates, armed 
        with little cash, some tools, a few blueprints, and unbounded faith, 
        launched the Ford Motor Company by submitting incorporation papers in 
        Lansing, Michigan;
Whereas the Ford Motor Company began operations in a leased, small converted 
        wagon factory on a spur of the Michigan Central Railroad in Detroit;
Whereas the first commercial automobile emerged from the Ford Motor Company in 
        1903 and was the original 8-horsepower, 2-cylinder Model A vehicle, 
        which was advertised as the ``Fordmobile'' and had a 2-speed 
        transmission, 28-inch wheels with wooden spokes, and 3-inch tires;
Whereas between 1903 and 1908, Henry Ford and his engineers developed numerous 
        models named after the letters of the alphabet, with some of the models 
        being only experimental and not available to the public;
Whereas on October 1, 1908, the Ford Motor Company introduced its ``universal 
        car'', the Model T (sometimes affectionately called the ``Tin Lizzie''), 
        which could be reconfigured by buyers to move cattle, haul freight, herd 
        horses, and even mow lawns, and Ford produced 10,660 Model T vehicles 
        its first model year, an industry record;
Whereas the Ford Motor Company inaugurated the first automotive integrated 
        moving assembly line in 1913, changing the old manner of building 1 car 
        at a time through moving the work to the worker by having parts, 
        components, and assemblers stationed at different intervals, and 
        beginning a new era of industrial progress and growth;
Whereas Henry Ford surprised the world in 1914 by setting Ford's minimum wage at 
        $5.00 for an 8-hour day, which replaced the prior $2.34 wage for a 9-
        hour day and was a truly great social revolution for its time;
Whereas, also in 1914, Henry Ford, with an eye to simplicity, efficiency, and 
        affordability, ordered that the Model T use black paint exclusively 
        because it dried faster than other colors, allowing cars to be built 
        daily at a lower cost, and Ford said the vehicle will be offered in 
        ``any color so long as it is black'';
Whereas, Ford's self-contained Rouge manufacturing complex on the Rouge River, 
        completed in 1925, encompassed diverse industries, including suppliers, 
        that allowed for the complete production of vehicles from raw materials 
        processing to final assembly, was an icon of the 20th century, and, with 
        its current revitalization and redevelopment, will remain an icon in the 
        21st century;
Whereas, in 1925, the company built the first of 196 Ford Tri-Motor airplanes, 
        nicknamed the ``Tin Goose'' and the ``Model T of the Air'';
Whereas consumer demand for more luxury and power pushed aside the current 
        model, and, on March 9, 1932, a Ford vehicle with the pioneering Ford V-
        8 engine block cast in 1 piece rolled off the production line;
Whereas, while Ford offered only 2 models through 1937 (Ford and Lincoln), due 
        to increased competition, in 1938 Ford introduced the first Mercury, a 
        car with a distinctive streamlined body style, a V-8 engine with more 
        horsepower than a Ford, and hydraulic brakes, thus filling the void 
        between the low-priced Ford and the high-priced Lincoln;
Whereas the United Automobile Workers (UAW), one of the largest labor unions in 
        the Nation, was formed in 1935 and, after a rather tumultuous beginning, 
        won acceptance by the auto industry, becoming a potent and forceful 
        leader for auto workers with Ford, which built a strong relationship 
        with the union through its policies and programs;
Whereas, by government decree, all civilian auto production in the United States 
        ceased on February 10, 1942, and Ford, under the control of the War 
        Production Board, produced an extensive array of tanks, B-24 aircraft, 
        armored cars, amphibious craft, gliders, and other materials for the 
        World War II war effort;
Whereas Ford dealers rallied to aid the Ford Motor Company in its postwar 
        comeback, proving their merit as the public's main point of contact with 
        the Company;
Whereas on September 21, 1945, Henry Ford II assumed the presidency of Ford, and 
        on April 7, 1947, Ford's founder, Henry Ford passed away;
Whereas a revitalized Ford met the postwar economic boom with Ford's famed F-
        Series trucks making their debut in 1948 for commercial and personal 
        use, and the debut of the 1949 Ford sedan, with the first major change 
        in a Ford body since 1922, the first change in a chassis since 1932, and 
        the first integration of body and fenders which would set the standard 
        for auto design in the future;
Whereas these new models were followed by such well-known vehicles as Ford 
        ``woodies'', the Mercury Turnpike Cruiser, the retractable hardtop 
        convertible Ford Skyliner, the high performing Ford Thunderbird 
        (introduced in 1955), the Ford Galaxy (introduced in 1959), and the 
        biggest success story of the 1960s, the Ford Mustang, which has been a 
        part of the American scene for almost 40 years;
Whereas, in 1953, President Dwight D. Eisenhower christened the new Ford 
        Research and Engineering Center, which was a milestone in the company's 
        dedication to automotive science and which houses some of the most 
        modern facilities for automotive research;
Whereas Ford's innovation continued through the 1980s with the introduction of 
        the Ford Taurus, which was named the 1986 Motor Trend Car of the Year 
        and which resulted in a new commitment to quality at Ford and in future 
        aerodynamic design trends in the industry;
Whereas Ford's innovation continued through the 1990s with the debut in 1993 of 
        the Ford Mondeo, European Car of the Year, the redesigned 1994 Ford 
        Mustang, and the introduction in 1990 of the Ford Explorer, which 
        defined the sport utility vehicle (SUV) segment and remains the best 
        selling SUV in the world;
Whereas, as the 21st century begins, Ford continues its marvelous record for 
        fine products with the best-selling car in the world, the Ford Focus, 
        and the best-selling truck in the world, the Ford F-Series;
Whereas the Ford Motor Company is the world's second largest automaker and 
        includes Ford, Lincoln, Mercury, Aston Martin, Jaguar, Land Rover, 
        Volvo, and Mazda automotive brands, as well as diversified subsidiaries 
        in finance and other domestic and international business areas; and
Whereas, on October 30, 2001, William Clay Ford, Jr., the great-grandson of 
        Henry Ford, became Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Ford Motor 
        Company, and as such is concentrating on the fundamentals that have 
        powered the company to greatness over the last century and made it a 
        world-class auto and truck manufacturer, and that will continue to carry 
        the company through the 21st century with even better products and 
        innovations: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) recognizes--
                    (A) the 100th anniversary year of the founding of 
                the Ford Motor Company, which has been a significant 
                part of the social, economic, and cultural heritage of 
                the United States and many other nations, and a 
                revolutionary industrial and global institution; and
                    (B) the truly wondrous achievements of the Ford 
                Motor Company, as its employees, retirees, suppliers, 
                dealers, its many customers, automotive enthusiasts, 
                and friends worldwide commemorate and celebrate its 
                100th anniversary milestone on June 16, 2003;
            (2) congratulates the Ford Motor Company for its 
        achievements; and
            (3) expects that the Ford Motor Company will continue to 
        have an even greater impact in the 21st century and beyond by 
        providing innovative products that are affordable and 
        environmentally sustainable, and that will enhance personal 
        mobility for generations to come.
                                 <all>