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Bloomfield Blossoms: p. 016-017

Smith, Kay, 1925-

Bloomfield Township Public Library

Architecture, Domestic -- Michigan -- Bloomfield Township

Bloomfield Township (Mich.)

NULL

GB01a010

part of 'Bloomfield Blossoms' by Kay Smith

text, image

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GIANTS OF INDUSTRY CHOOSE BLOOMFIELD FOR THEIR HOMES Up until about 1960, most of the rising and the rich chose the Grosse Pointes as places to live. In Bloomfield there were estates, but most board chairmen and presidents of the large corporations which have headquarters in Southeastern Michigan lived elsewhere. Beginning late in the Fifties, Bloomfield began to attract the attention of the executives moving into Detroit in the great post-war automotive boom. By the early Sixties, all four presidents of the large automobile companies lived here-John Dykstra of Ford, John Gordon of General Motors, Lynn T ownsend, of Chrysler and George Romney of American Motors. In this present year of 1976, board chairmen and presidents of most of Detroit's large companies live here. They include Chairman Thomas A. Murphy and President Eliot M. Estes of General Motors; President Lee A. Iacocca, of Ford; Chairman John J. Riccardo and President Hugh Cafiero, of Chrysler; President Paul S. Mirabito, of Burroughs; President Edward J. Giblin, of Ex-Cell-O; President Gilbert F. Richards, of The Budd Company; and President Joseph D. Williams, of Parke-Davis. An interesting point about Parke-Davis is that the pharma- ceutical company was co-founded by Hervey Parke, son of Dr. Ezra Parke and nephew of Captain Hervey Parke of our founding families. His grandson, Dr. Hervey C. Parke, is with the company today. . To round out our list of captains of industry whose homes are here it's necessary to note that since the early Sixties, every board chariman and every president of General Motors has lived here. The distinguished list includes John Gordon, James M. Roche, Edward D. Cole and Richard Gerstenberg as well as the present executives Messrs. Murphy and Estes mentioned above. Countless vice presidents and other executives also call Bloomfield home. Grosse Point, good-bye!