Emigrating from Denmark to the United States in 1900, William S. Knudsen (1879-1948) forged a distinguished industrial career, opening assembly plants, directing a World War I boatbuilding program, and masterminding postwar European expansion for Ford Motor Company. He then served as president of Chevrolet and General Motors Corporation and finally guided America's World War II production effort.

Born Signius Wilhelm Poul Knudsen on March 25, 1879, the future magnate received a technical education and was a bicycle mechanic in his native Denmark. Tall, sturdy, and speaking English with a marked Danish accent, he passed through New York's Ellis Island in 1900. After changing his name to William S. Knudsen, he worked in shipyards and railroad shops, then joined Buffalo's John R. Keim Mills, a leading manufacturer of pressed steel parts for the automotive industry.

From Ford to GM

Keim was bought by Ford Motor Company in 1911, and Knudsen was called to Detroit...