According to his obituary, Robert Green was born in December 1914 and died shortly before his 92nd birthday in 2006. Born in Wood County, Ohio, Green spent most of his life in and around Bowling Green. His educational background is unknown, but he was an accomplished engineer with several patents. The most information we have about Green’s work history before joining Willys comes from a 1952 news article:
“From 1939 to 1942 he was with the Ford Allen Co. and from 1942 to 1945, he was an (sic) hydraulic engineer for the Ford Motor Company.”
We have not found information on a “Ford Allen Co.” Newspaper records from the period show the city of Wyandotte, MI, paying small sums to the company for “Mower Parts.” Searching the Ford Motor Company archives did not produce an employment record for Green.
In a 1959 interview, Green revealed that he had been employed at Ford’s Willow Run Plant, working on aircraft hydraulics during WWII. This is the most important clue we have uncovered about Green’s employment before joining Willys and forming the Newgren Company.
Next up 1945-1946.