J. Edward Lundy
Encyclopedia
J. Edward Lundy was an American automobile executive who became the chief financial officer of Ford Motor Company
.
Lundy was one of the Whiz Kids, a group of 10 young and ambitious veterans of the United States Army Air Forces
led by Charles B. "Tex" Thornton
. Thornton offered their employment as a group to Henry Ford II
, and they were hired in 1946.
He was assigned as financial planning manager, and his influence grew quickly. He was a leader in developing financial forecasting as a business management tool. He was also highly focused on recruiting, and was credited with developing a legion of executive talent. He reportedly kept a file on the people who left Ford, and how well they were doing.
For several years he was deputy to Arjay Miller, a fellow whiz kid who rose to become president of Ford in the mid-1960s. Lundy was successively assistant controller and controller. He became chief financial officer in 1967 and remained in the position until he retired in 1979. He stayed on as a member of the board of directors (reportedly at Henry Ford II's personal request) until 1985.
To this day, some in Ford Motor Company's finance staff use the term Lundyism to refer to grammatical, typographical, and formatting conventions in the preparation of financial reports.
Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK...
.
Lundy was one of the Whiz Kids, a group of 10 young and ambitious veterans of the United States Army Air Forces
United States Army Air Forces
The United States Army Air Forces was the military aviation arm of the United States of America during and immediately after World War II, and the direct predecessor of the United States Air Force....
led by Charles B. "Tex" Thornton
Tex Thornton
Charles Bates "Tex" Thornton was an American business executive who was the founder of Litton Industries.-Biography:...
. Thornton offered their employment as a group to Henry Ford II
Henry Ford II
Henry Ford II , commonly known as "HF2" and "Hank the Deuce", was the son of Edsel Ford and grandson of Henry Ford...
, and they were hired in 1946.
He was assigned as financial planning manager, and his influence grew quickly. He was a leader in developing financial forecasting as a business management tool. He was also highly focused on recruiting, and was credited with developing a legion of executive talent. He reportedly kept a file on the people who left Ford, and how well they were doing.
For several years he was deputy to Arjay Miller, a fellow whiz kid who rose to become president of Ford in the mid-1960s. Lundy was successively assistant controller and controller. He became chief financial officer in 1967 and remained in the position until he retired in 1979. He stayed on as a member of the board of directors (reportedly at Henry Ford II's personal request) until 1985.
To this day, some in Ford Motor Company's finance staff use the term Lundyism to refer to grammatical, typographical, and formatting conventions in the preparation of financial reports.
Links and Reference
- Automotive Hall of Fame Bio
- Detroit News "Whiz Kids" article
- The Whiz Kids; John A. Byrne; Doubleday, N.Y., 1993