Absolutely George was intuitive, inventive, had a creative mind always looking for ideas, and was a natural showman. My dad called him a “P.T. Barnum.” That showmanship played a major role in the company’s success.
My dad, a mechanical engineer, started working for George in 1956 part-time designing dies for engine conversion parts to earn a bit of extra money. That really didn’t work out in that George wasn’t making enough to pay anyone… But dad enjoyed the challenge. After two years, their insurance agent talked them into incorporating in May of 1958.
In 1961 George offered $1,000 to the guy who could design a better 4-speed in-line shifter than they were using in Detroit. Bob Kenny came up with the idea, and eventually George gave him the $1,000. Today Bob is also 90 years old and very sharp.
A long time worker at Hurst once told me that George would sketch out the next idea he wanted to do, and my dad would figure out how to do it. While George was promoting, dad kept the entire operation running smoothly. Hurst-Campbell would have never succeeded as it did without the strengths of both men.
Probably ten years ago now I had my dad tell me his Hurst-Campbell story, and I recorded it. I’m attempting to write his story, but it is more in a memoir format. I’m using his wording as much as possible. Then I am filling in additional information that seems interesting to me. My intention is probably just to share it as people are interested. I wasn’t thinking of any formal publishing of it. It will certainly not be a book! I’m guessing in the end I may have 50-75 pages, including photos.
I do have early contacts. A few days ago I talked to Jim Rahm, who is the first guy who ever worked with George, 1953-7. Then I emailed and talked with Jim Kerr, who came next. Don Lane came early also, and I have talked with him. Bob Kenny came in 1961 and I visited him two weeks ago. Bill Widdemer came probably around 1960. I talk to Bill a couple times a year. I also talked to Lou Leib, the first shifter was installed in his truck. It has been great fun to talk to these marvelous men about their memories.
You are more than welcome to share what I wrote in a format that works for your readers. A challenge is that George was a brilliant guy who promoted his product effectively and ingeniously. He was also of compromised character in his private life – very opposite of my dad. In the end, he “fired” dad because dad was insisting on treating an employee with integrity, and George told him he was not allowed to. That story will be in dad’s memoir.
And I must end with this. The original idea for the Jaws was not George’s and had nothing to do with the race car industry. Dad read an article in the Philadelphia Bulletin about a dump truck driver who was caught in his cab in an accident at a train crossing, and bled to death five minutes before they got him extricated. Dad thought, “This guy isn’t going home to his wife and kids.” That got him thinking, and he came up with the initial idea for a cutting tool, but it could not produce sparks. When he shared the idea with George over a hamburger, George added in the spreading tool. George insisted on the tool running off a power steering pump. Dad said it had to run off a separate generator. There was some development to the tool over the next ten years, but it never really got off the ground successfully until after dad left Hurst (at George’s invitation) in 1969 and George put the Jaws into high gear, and powered by a generator.
George may take all the credit, but our family is so proud to know that it was our dad’s initial concept. Dad was the quiet engineer.
My dad, a mechanical engineer, started working for George in 1956 part-time designing dies for engine conversion parts to earn a bit of extra money. That really didn’t work out in that George wasn’t making enough to pay anyone… But dad enjoyed the challenge. After two years, their insurance agent talked them into incorporating in May of 1958.
In 1961 George offered $1,000 to the guy who could design a better 4-speed in-line shifter than they were using in Detroit. Bob Kenny came up with the idea, and eventually George gave him the $1,000. Today Bob is also 90 years old and very sharp.
Probably ten years ago now I had my dad tell me his Hurst-Campbell story, and I recorded it. I’m attempting to write his story, but it is more in a memoir format. I’m using his wording as much as possible. Then I am filling in additional information that seems interesting to me. My intention is probably just to share it as people are interested. I wasn’t thinking of any formal publishing of it. It will certainly not be a book! I’m guessing in the end I may have 50-75 pages, including photos.
I do have early contacts. A few days ago I talked to Jim Rahm, who is the first guy who ever worked with George, 1953-7. Then I emailed and talked with Jim Kerr, who came next. Don Lane came early also, and I have talked with him. Bob Kenny came in 1961 and I visited him two weeks ago. Bill Widdemer came probably around 1960. I talk to Bill a couple times a year. I also talked to Lou Leib, the first shifter was installed in his truck. It has been great fun to talk to these marvelous men about their memories.
You are more than welcome to share what I wrote in a format that works for your readers. A challenge is that George was a brilliant guy who promoted his product effectively and ingeniously. He was also of compromised character in his private life – very opposite of my dad. In the end, he “fired” dad because dad was insisting on treating an employee with integrity, and George told him he was not allowed to. That story will be in dad’s memoir.
And I must end with this. The original idea for the Jaws was not George’s and had nothing to do with the race car industry. Dad read an article in the Philadelphia Bulletin about a dump truck driver who was caught in his cab in an accident at a train crossing, and bled to death five minutes before they got him extricated. Dad thought, “This guy isn’t going home to his wife and kids.” That got him thinking, and he came up with the initial idea for a cutting tool, but it could not produce sparks. When he shared the idea with George over a hamburger, George added in the spreading tool. George insisted on the tool running off a power steering pump. Dad said it had to run off a separate generator. There was some development to the tool over the next ten years, but it never really got off the ground successfully until after dad left Hurst (at George’s invitation) in 1969 and George put the Jaws into high gear, and powered by a generator.
George may take all the credit, but our family is so proud to know that it was our dad’s initial concept. Dad was the quiet engineer.
Tomi
Great story, needs to be told.
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