Background.

Howard Coffin was born on 6 September 1873 in the small town of West Milton, Ohio. He attended the University of Michigan, majoring in mechanical engineering, and used his proximity to Detroit to get involved in the burgeoning auto industry. From 1902 to 1906 Coffin worked for the Olds Motor Works in Detroit and Lansing, advancing to the position of chief engineer. From 1908 to 1910 Coffin was employed by Chalmers Detroit Motor Company where he served as vice president. At the beginning of the new decade Coffin was named vice president at the Hudson Motor Car Company and spent the next twenty years of his career there. While at Hudson, Coffin worked to standardize parts in the auto industry and became the president of the Society of Automobile Engineers. He was one of the earliest proponents of standardization. Coffin's experience in industry prepared him for his work during...