HENRY’S SOY BEAN

Even though the soy bean had been domesticated by the Chinese some 1000 years ago, it was Henry Ford who initiated the U.S. development of soy bean products during the Great  Depression. Using his own money , he collected a group of chemists and pharmacists. He put them in Edison’s original laboratory that he had transported from Menlo Park, New Jersey to Dearborn Park, Michigan, in hopes the building would stimulate their research. With his lifelong concern for the farmer, he wanted to find marketable agricultural products that could be used by industry.

After a year’s testing of other growable seeds, Henry read a report on the soy bean during one of his daily visits to the lab. He immediately approved a go-ahead on the soy bean, thus he launched one of the broadest variety farm products in use today.

With the decline of the American Auto, Henry may well be best remembered for the development of soy bean food products, medicines, cosmetics, clothing, paints, lubricants, candies, glue and fuel. I was surprised to hear from the manager of Trader Jose’s market that he Estimates 60% of his inventory contains coy bean oil, lethicin, etc.

In fact, after reading the ingredient labels on several popular food products; Wonder Bread, Twinkies, strawberry jam, Best Foods Mayonnaise, Betty Crocker Pancake Mix, and mucho others, I’m reasonably convinced that every person in the United States has eaten knowingly, or unknowingly, some of Henry Ford’s soy beans this week.

Henry’s research and industrial application placed over a million gallons of soy oil, became the synthetic enamel that was applied to Ford cars during the mid 1930’s. Over 1/2 million gallons of soy oil filled Ford shock absorbers of the similar period. Door panel upholstery cloth, gear shift knobs, dash panel trim as also made from soy products. I remember Dad telling me as a kid, the creamy yellow instrument panel of our ’36 Hudson was made of soy bean oil.

Think about the difference between the mundane ‘39 vs. ‘ 49 Ford and mercury dash boards with soy bean plastic styling trim in your face spread from door to door. This was another Henry Ford marketing announcement of soy plastics. Henry was quoted, “We will grow auto bodies down on the farm.”

Henry Ford authorized the construction of a 400 foot long building at the River Rouge Plant specifically for the Plastic Ford Auto Body. A ‘40 soy plastic Ford Coupe was displayed, composed of 14 parts. Fenders, doors, hood, trunk lid, front and rear quarter panels, fire wall, and floor panels attached to a tubular frame.