Horace Elgin Dodge Sr. (May 17, 1868 – December 10, 1920) was an American early leader in car manufacturing. He helped found the Dodge Brothers Company.

Early years and business

He was born in Niles, Michigan, on May 17, 1868. His father owned a foundry and machine shop. Horace Dodge and his older brother, John Francis Dodge, were very close as children and as adults. The two brothers were known for their determination and once built a working high-wheel bicycle using materials they found.

In 1886, the Dodge brothers moved to Detroit, Michigan, where they worked at Murphy Boiler Works, a factory that made boilers for ships, owned by Thomas Murphy. In 1894, they worked as machinists at the Canadian Typograph Company, which was located across the Detroit River in Windsor, Ontario.

In 1896, Horace Dodge married Anna Thompson in Windsor, Ohio. She was a Scottish immigrant born in Dundee and was from a family that worked in manual jobs. The couple had a son, Horace Jr., and a daughter, Delphine. After Horace’s death, Anna married actor Hugh Dillman.

While John Dodge was focused on sales and management, Horace was skilled at fixing machines and enjoyed experimenting with new ideas. He invented the first dirt-proof ball bearing. In 1897, John arranged for them to partner with another investor to make bicycles. Within a few years, they sold the business and, in 1901, used the money from the sale to start their own machine shop in Detroit. During their first year in business, the Dodge brothers’ company began making parts for the automobile industry. This company got a contract to produce transmissions for Oldsmobile and for the newly created Ford Motor Company.

Automobiles

In 1902, they won a contract to build transmissions for the Olds Motor Vehicle Company, which helped them build a good reputation for quality and service. The next year, they refused a second contract from Olds (Oldsmobile) to change their factory to build engines for Henry Ford. This deal included ownership in the new Ford Motor Company. They had invested in Ford's business, and eventually, Ford owed them money. By 1910, Horace Dodge and his brother were so successful that they built a new factory in Hamtramck, Michigan.

For ten years, the Dodge brothers' company supplied parts to Ford, and John Dodge worked as vice president of the Ford company. In 1913, the Dodge brothers ended their contract with Ford and focused on making their own cars. They introduced the Dodge Brothers 30 in November 1914. They started building motor trucks, ambulances, and other vehicles for the United States military during the preparation for World War I. After the war ended, their company made and sold both cars and trucks. By 1919, Ford bought back the Dodges' ownership for $25 million.

He was inducted into the Automotive Hall of Fame in 1981.

Personal life

Despite their wealth and increasing influence in business, the red-haired Dodge brothers were often criticized for their rude behavior and aggressive actions, which made them unpopular among the wealthy people of Detroit. In 1912, Horace Dodge built a large mansion made of red sandstone in Grosse Pointe, called Rose Terrace. The home had formal gardens, a boat dock, and overlooked Lake St. Clair.

This mansion was later replaced by a second Rose Terrace, built in the 1930s by architect Horace Trumbauer for Mrs. Dodge and her second husband. Architectural historian W. Hawkins Ferry called the mansion "unquestionably Grosse Pointe's most regal residence." In addition to Rose Terrace, the Dodges owned a large winter home in Palm Beach, Florida. Horace’s wife, Anna, studied music, and this helped the family gain acceptance in the city’s social circles. Horace and Anna Dodge became important supporters of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra and played a major role in building Orchestra Hall.

A fan of speedboats and yachting, Horace Dodge’s interest in boat engines led him to create a marine division within their automotive company. He bought several large steam yachts, each more luxurious than the last. The first two yachts, both named Nokomis, were purchased by the government for use during World War I. The second Nokomis was described as a "floating palace" even as it was being prepared for Navy use. The final yacht, named Delphine after Horace’s daughter, followed the Nokomis design tradition. It was 257.8 feet (78.6 meters) long. Construction began in 1920 and finished in 1921, shortly after Horace’s death. Later, the Delphine sank, ran aground on rocks, and served as a United States Navy patrol boat during World War II. The yacht changed hands multiple times and is now being restored by its current owner in 2025.

Death

In 1919, Henry Ford purchased the Dodge brothers' ownership in Ford Motor Company for $25 million. In January 1920, Horace's brother, John, died during the influenza epidemic. He was buried in the family's Egyptian-style mausoleum in Detroit's Woodlawn Cemetery, which was guarded by two Sphinx statues. Horace also caught the flu that December after several relapses. He died from complications of the disease, which led to pneumonia and cirrhosis of the liver, at the age of 52 in Palm Beach, Florida. He was buried with his brother in the same mausoleum. His widow lived fifty years longer than he did.

In 1925, the widows of Horace and John Dodge sold their automobile business to Dillon Read investment bankers for $146 million. When Anna Thompson Dodge died in 1970, she left an amount of money to the City of Detroit for the construction of the Horace E. Dodge and Son Memorial Fountain. The fountain was designed by sculptor Isamu Noguchi and opened in 1978 as part of the city's Hart Plaza. Horace E. Dodge Jr. died in 1963 at the age of 63.