Henry Ford (July 30, 1863 – April 7, 1947), a prominent American industrialist, supporter of workers' welfare and pacifism, was the founder of the Ford Motor Company and father of modern assembly lines used in mass production. His introduction of the Model
T automobile revolutionized transportation and American industry. As owner of the Ford Motor Company, he became one of the richest and best-known people in the world. He is credited with "Fordism", that is, mass production of inexpensive goods coupled with
high wages for workers. Ford had a global vision, with consumerism as the key to peace. His intense commitment to systematically lowering costs resulted in many technical and business innovations, including a franchise system that put a dealership in every
city in North America, and in major cities on six continents. Ford left most of his vast wealth to the Ford Foundation but arranged for his family to control the company permanently.