Statue Unveiling Recognizes Contributions of Henry Ford National Automobile Dealers Charitable Foundation Recognizes Industry Pioneer's Contribution to Personal Freedom of Mobility
5 September 2000
Statue Unveiling Recognizes Contributions of Henry Ford National Automobile Dealers Charitable Foundation Recognizes Industry Pioneer's Contribution to Personal Freedom of Mobility
DEARBORN, Mich., Sept. 5 In a departure from the usual
medallion presentation of its International Freedom of Mobility Award, the
National Automobile Dealers Charitable Foundation commissioned a one-of-a-kind
sculpture for their millennial award winner, Henry Ford, founder of Ford Motor
Company. The sculpture will be unveiled September 6 at an evening reception
at the Automotive Hall of Fame in Dearborn, the permanent home of the artwork.
Edsel B. Ford II, Henry Ford's great-grandson, will be on hand to accept the
award from the Charitable Foundation. The Ford family has donated the
sculpture to the Automotive Hall of Fame in order that all may enjoy it.
"This is an exciting way to recognize the contributions of the automotive
industry to the freedom of people around the world," said Charitable
Foundation Chairman Robert P. Mallon. "The sculpture will be seen by the tens
of thousands of people coming to the museum each year and remind them of the
role of the automobile in preserving our freedom of mobility."
The sculpture recognizes Henry Ford's lasting contributions and impact on
peoples' freedom to travel when, where and how they choose, including his
innovative assembly-line process and revolutionary for the time $5 a day wage,
which put an automobile within reach of the average citizen.
The International Freedom of Mobility Award (IFOMA) committee determined
the sculpture should be metal, as representational of the automobile industry,
and the sculptor, Rogelio Menz, was selected for his unique vision for the
original art piece, combining both abstract and representational concepts to
convey the meaning. Menz explains the creative process: "I wanted to
recognize that Henry Ford had a unique vision and worked hard to turn it into
a reality while contending with the limitations and difficulties of the time.
He was a true pioneer." Parts of actual Ford vehicles are incorporated into
the piece, which has sweeping, curved columns, and a three-dimensional
representation of the IFOMA global symbol at the top. The base incorporates a
sculpted tire, like the ones on Ford's famous Model T and Model A cars, in
addition to whimsical, artistic shapes. The sculpture will be displayed on a
rotating base so visitors can enjoy it from every viewpoint.
The award, traditionally a medallion, is presented each year by the
National Automobile Dealers Charitable Foundation to honor an individual whose
significant deeds and actions promote the personal freedom to choose where,
when and how to travel.
The award is one of several programs of the National Automobile Dealers
Charitable Foundation. Established in 1975, the Foundation is a tax-exempt,
non-profit public foundation that raises and distributes funds from franchised
new-car and -truck dealers and friends for emergency medical and economic
educational organizations and private-sector colleges and universities.