William Doud Packard (November 3, 1861 – November 11, 1923) was an American

automobile A car or automobile is a motor vehicle with wheels. Most definitions of ''cars'' say that they run primarily on roads, seat one to eight people, have four wheels, and mainly transport people instead of goods. The year 1886 is regarde ...

manufacturer who founded the

Packard Motor Car Company Packard or Packard Motor Car Company was an American luxury automobile company located in Detroit, Michigan. The first Packard automobiles were produced in 1899, and the last Packards were built in South Bend, Indiana in 1958. One of the "Thr ...

and Packard Electric Company with his brother

James Ward Packard James Ward Packard (November 5, 1863 – March 20, 1928) was an American automobile manufacturer who founded the Packard Motor Car Company and Packard Electric Company with his brother William Doud Packard.Adler, Dennis (2004). ''Packard''. Mo ...

.Adler, Dennis (2004). ''Packard''. MotorBooks/MBI Publishing Company,

Life and career

Packard was born in

Warren, Ohio Warren is a city in and the county seat of Trumbull County, Ohio, United States. Located in northeastern Ohio, Warren lies approximately northwest of Youngstown and southeast of Cleveland. The population was 39,201 at the 2020 census. The hi ...

on November 3, 1861, to Warren and Mary Elizabeth Doud Packard. While his younger brother

(1863-1928) joined him in founding the Packard Electric Company there in 1890 where they manufactured incandescent carbon arc lamps, his sister

Alaska P. Davidson Alaska Packard Davidson (March 1, 1868 – July 16, 1934) was an American law enforcement officer who is best known for being the first female special agent in the FBI. Personal life Davidson was born in Warren, Ohio, on March 1, 1868, to W ...

(1868-1934) later became the first female

FBI The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic intelligence and security service of the United States and its principal federal law enforcement agency. Operating under the jurisdiction of the United States Department of Justice, t ...

agent. After disappointment with a Winton Company car he purchased, James formed a partnership with his brother and Winton investor George L. Weiss called Packard & Weiss. The first Packard automobile was released in 1899. In 1900, the company incorporated as the Ohio Automobile Company and was renamed the

in 1902. The company relocated to

Detroit Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at t ...

in 1903. The company eventually merged with the

Studebaker Corporation Studebaker was an American wagon and automobile manufacturer based in South Bend, Indiana, with a building at 1600 Broadway, Times Square, Midtown Manhattan, New York City. Founded in 1852 and incorporated in 1868 as the Studebaker Brothers Ma ...

in 1954, and the last Packard was made in 1958. Following Packard Motor Company's relocation to Detroit, the Packard brothers focused on making automotive electrical systems through the separate Packard Electric Company. General Motors acquired Packard Electric in 1932, renaming it Delphi Packard Electric Systems in 1995. The company was spun off and became independent of GM in 1999. In 1915, W.D. Packard commissioned a summer home to be designed by a famous architectural firm in New York City,

Warren and Wetmore Warren and Wetmore was an architecture firm in New York City which was a partnership between Whitney Warren (1864–1943) and Charles Delevan Wetmore (June 10, 1866 – May 8, 1941), that had one of the most extensive practices of its time and w ...

. This home is located on the

Chautauqua Institution The Chautauqua Institution ( ) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit education center and summer resort for adults and youth located on in Chautauqua, New York, northwest of Jamestown in the Western Southern Tier of New York State. Established in 1874, the ...

. It still serves as a single-family residence. There is a duplicate in Warren, Ohio. Packard Park in Warren, Ohio is on land donated by Packard, and the W.D. Packard Music Hall and Packard Band were funded by him.

References

External links

William Doud Packard
via Automotive Hall of Fame * 1861 births 1923 deaths People from Warren, Ohio Packard people American founders of automobile manufacturers American automotive pioneers Businesspeople from Ohio 19th-century American businesspeople 20th-century American businesspeople {{US-business-bio-1860s-stub