Business Humour I

The Goldberg Brothers versus Anti-Semite Henry Ford

“The Inventors of the Automobile Air Conditioner”

Here's a little factoid for automobile buffs or just to dazzle your friends.

The four Goldberg brothers, Lowell, Norman, Hiram and Max

invented and developed the first automobile air-conditioner.

On July 17, 1946, the temperature in Detroit was 97 degrees.

The four brothers walked into old man Ford's office and sweet-talked 

his secretary into telling him that four gentlemen were there 

with the most exciting innovation in the auto industry 

since the electric starter.

Henry was curious and invited them into his office. They refused

and instead, asked him that he come to the parking lot to their car.

They persuaded him to get into the car, which was about 110 degrees,

turned on the air conditioner...and cooled the car immediately.

The old man got very excited and invited them back to the office,

where he offered them $3,000,000 for the patent.

The brothers refused, saying they would settle for $2,000,000

but they wanted the recognition by having a label, 

“The Goldberg Air Conditioner”

on the dashboard of each car in which it was installed.

Now, old man Ford was more than just a little anti-Semitic
and there was no way

he was going to put the Goldberg's name on two million Fords.

They haggled back and forth for about two hours and finally agreed on

$4,000,000 and that just their first names would be shown.

And so to this day, all Ford air conditioners show ~

Lo, Norm, Hi and Max

on the controls.

(Thanks to my son,  who forwarded the above to me)

Research states that actually in 1937 when the Cohen brothers

(Hyman, Max and Norman) visited Henry Ford,

he refused to have Jewish names on his car manufacturing.

The Corporate Structure

Chairman of the Board: Leaps tall buildings in a single bound;

Is more powerful than a locomotive;

Is faster than a speeding bullet;

Walks on water, and

Gives policy to GOD!

President: Leaps short buildings in a single bound;

Is more powerful than a switch engine;

Is just as fast as a speeding bullet;

Walks on water if the sea is calm;

Talks with GOD!

Senior Vice President: Leaps short buildings with a running jump

AND favourable winds;

Is almost as powerful as a switch engine;

Is faster than a speeding BB;

Walks on water in an indoor swimming pool;

Talks with GOD if special request is approved.

Vice President: Barely clears a quonset hut;

Loses tug-of-war with a locomotive;

Can fire a speeding bullet;

Swims well;

Is occasionally addressed by GOD!

Assistant Vice President: Makes high marks on the wall when trying

to leap small buildings;

Is run over by a locomotive;

Can sometimes handle a gun without

inflicting self-injury;

Dog paddles;

Talks to animals!

Secretary: Lifts buildings and walks under them;

Kicks locomotives off the track;

Catches speeding bullets in her teeth

And Eats Them;

Freezes water with a single glance;

SHE is GOD!

Merle Baird-Kerr . . . written October 10, 2011

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