Edward Gowen was born in Smyrna, Delaware back in 1870. He studied engineering in Philadelphia taking his knowledge working for the Pullman Company. In 1912, he founded his own company specializing in the manufacture of pressed-steel chassis frames for automobiles.
One of his first clients was the Dodge brothers, they purchased 70,000 all-steel open bodies. Edward was the first person to design the Dodge sedan, virtually ending the open-air touring bodies. It wasn’t long after that the other automobile companies followed Dodge.
During the Great Depression, he pioneered the fabrication of stainless steel, helping to create the Pioneer Zephyr.
During WWII, his company was the original maker of the Bazooka projectile and the rifle grenade.
What you may not know about Edward Gowen Budd, is the company he founded was of course the Budd Company, that company was instrumental in the development of the radial disk brakes and the automatic wheel line. The Budd Company closed its doors in 2014.
Until tomorrow give someone the free gift of a smile
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