Harry Franklin Vickers (October 1, 1898 – January 12, 1977) was an American inventor and industrialist. He grew up in Montana and southern

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

. He was called the "Father of Industrial Hydraulics" by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, who gave him the Society's highest award, the ASME Medal, in 1956.

Early life and influences

Vickers was always interested in machinery and mechanics and was a self-taught master machinist. He served in

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

with the US Army Signal Corps, where he learned about the first generations of electronics and radio. Returning to southern California after the war, he founded Vickers Manufacturing Co., later to be called Vickers Inc.Flint, Peter B., "Harry F. Vickers, 78, of Sperry Rand, dies", ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'', New York, 13 January 1977. Initially his company was principally engaged in general mechanical and machining work. The famous author and sportsman

Zane Grey Pearl Zane Grey (January 31, 1872 – October 23, 1939) was an American author and dentist. He is known for his popular adventure novels and stories associated with the Western genre in literature and the arts; he idealized the American frontier ...

once came to his shop to have a large salt water fishing reel repaired. Grey decided that the young Harry Vickers was a man with a future, and offered to arrange for him to be tutored in calculus and other engineering disciplines at night by professors from the

University of Southern California The University of Southern California (USC, SC, or Southern Cal) is a Private university, private research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Founded in 1880 by Robert M. Widney, it is the oldest private research university in ...

Inventions and business development

Vickers mechanical ability in combination with his electronic and engineering training formed the basis for his ability to invent, test and manufacture his early hydraulic innovations, which included the first hydraulic power steering system. He went on to invent numerous key components fundamental to the rapid growth of the fluid power industry, including his most famous innovation, the balanced vane pump. Vickers Inc. grew steadily, eventually moving its headquarters to

Detroit Detroit ( , ) is the List of municipalities in Michigan, most populous city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated on the bank of the Detroit River across from Windsor, Ontario. It had a population of 639,111 at the 2020 United State ...

to be closer to its major automotive and industrial customers.

Merger with Sperry Corporation

With the advent of the depression, Vickers approached Frederick J. Fisher (one of the Fisher Brothers of

Fisher Body Fisher Body was an automobile coachbuilder founded as the Fisher Body Company by Frederic and Charles Fisher in 1908 in Detroit, Michigan when they absorbed a fledgling autobody maker. By 1916 the concern had grown into one of the world's large ...

, the principal supplier of automobile bodies to

General Motors General Motors Company (GM) is an American Multinational corporation, multinational Automotive industry, automotive manufacturing company headquartered in Detroit, Michigan, United States. The company is most known for owning and manufacturing f ...

) to invest in his company to help it survive."PERSONNEL: Mechanic Makes Good
''

Time magazine ''Time'' (stylized in all caps as ''TIME'') is an American news magazine based in New York City. It was published weekly for nearly a century. Starting in March 2020, it transitioned to every other week. It was first published in New York Cit ...

'', New York, 2 June 1952. They agreed that Vickers, Inc. would merge with the

Sperry Corporation Sperry Corporation was a major American equipment and electronics company whose existence spanned more than seven decades of the 20th century. Sperry ceased to exist in 1986 following a prolonged hostile takeover bid engineered by Burroughs ...

, (of which the Fisher Brothers had principal control) and operate as a subsidiary called Sperry Vickers, with Harry Vickers as president.

Role in World War II and post-war economy

As the start of

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

approached, both Sperry Corp and Sperry Vickers became vital suppliers to the builders of virtually every type of weapon and support system, from aircraft and ships to tanks and transport equipment.Mindell, David A.; "Between Human and Machine — Feedback, Control, and Computing Before Cybernetics," Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore, ©2002. At the end of World War II, Admiral

Harold Raynsford Stark Harold Raynsford Stark (November 12, 1880 – August 20, 1972) was an officer in the United States Navy during World War I and World War II, who served as the 8th Chief of Naval Operations from August 1, 1939, to March 26, 1942. Early life a ...

, who was Chief of Naval Operations at the start of the war, wrote that, in his view, Harry Vickers had done more than any other civilian to win the war. Vickers many contributions to his country and global industry placed him in the company of many of the greatest individuals of his era. He was a close friend of

Douglas MacArthur Douglas MacArthur (26 January 18805 April 1964) was an American general who served as a top commander during World War II and the Korean War, achieving the rank of General of the Army (United States), General of the Army. He served with dis ...

, who was the Chairman of the Board of

Remington Rand Corporation Remington Rand, Inc. was an early American business machine manufacturer, originally a typewriter manufacturer and in a later incarnation the manufacturer of the UNIVAC line of mainframe computers. Formed in 1927 following a merger, Remington R ...

when Sperry and Remington merged in the early 1950s, forming

Sperry Rand Sperry Corporation was a major American equipment and electronics company whose existence spanned more than seven decades of the 20th century. Sperry ceased to exist in 1986 following a prolonged hostile takeover bid engineered by Burroughs ...

. MacArthur continued in that role in the merged company."Time Clock, may 9, 1955"
''

'', New York, 9 May 1955.

Executive roles

Vickers later assumed the Chairman's role subsequent to MacArthur's retirement. He served as the last president of

between 1952 and 1955. He then served, in the successory title, as the first president of

Sperry Rand Corporation Sperry Corporation was a major American equipment and electronics company whose existence spanned more than seven decades of the 20th century. Sperry ceased to exist in 1986 following a prolonged hostile takeover bid engineered by Burroughs ...

from 1955 to 1965. He also, during this time, served as the first CEO of Sperry Rand Corporation between 1955 and 1967. He then served as chairman of Sperry Rand Corporation between 1965 and 1967. When he retired in 1967, he was Chairman, President and CEO of the 56th largest company in the United States.

Personal life

Vickers was an

amateur radio Amateur radio, also known as ham radio, is the use of the radio frequency radio spectrum, spectrum for purposes of non-commercial exchange of messages, wireless experimentation, self-training, private recreation, radiosport, contesting, and emer ...

operator, an active

pilot An aircraft pilot or aviator is a person who controls the flight of an aircraft by operating its Aircraft flight control system, directional flight controls. Some other aircrew, aircrew members, such as navigators or flight engineers, are al ...

, and an avid golfer, fisherman and hunter. He was married to the former Nell Wilhite, and they had two children: James (1924–1933) and Dawn (1927–1997).

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Vickers, Harry Franklin 1898 births 1977 deaths ASME Medal recipients People from Red Lodge, Montana 20th-century American engineers University of Southern California alumni