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43-513: The America First Party is the name of two US political parties: America First Party (1943) , an isolationist political party founded in 1943 America First Party, another name for the Populist Party (United States, 1984) See also [ edit ] America First Committee Topics referred to by the same term [REDACTED] This disambiguation page lists articles associated with

86-470: A "sinister effort to smear" Bricker. Smith, said Dewey, "is one of those rabble-rousers who, like Adolf Hitler , makes racial prejudice his stock in trade." Bricker, who had arrived in St. Louis for a two-day conference of the 26 Republican governors, told reporters that he had paid very little attention to Smith or his movement until last night, "when he associated my name with his at a meeting of some kind that

129-515: A billion-dollar company that you haven't contributed a thing to." That afternoon, on September 21, 1945, Bennett departed, ending his 30-year career with the Ford Motor Company. The ruthless Bennett era was finally over. Afterward, Henry Ford II went to Ford to tell him of his first executive decision: "I went to him (Henry Ford) with my guard up. I was sure he was going to blow my head off." Ford quite nonchalantly said, "Well, now Harry

172-430: A book shelf rotated to reveal access to an upper level secure space designed to be a lookout. This entry was behind the fireplace and led to a place with gun ports for defense. Near this cabin was an underground bunker , including a separate building with a Ford flathead V8 engine acting as a generator to make the property self sustaining. The bunker was similar to the ones at Ford's Fair Lane estate. The compound also

215-497: A hill overlooking the Sky Valley desert 15 minutes from Palm Springs, California. The property came equipped with its own well, capable of producing 100 gallons a minute of hot fresh water. After burning his Ford Motor Company records in his basement office after Henry Ford II fired him there, Bennett retired to an 800-acre estate and wilderness area he owned near Desert Springs, California. His last public appearance came when he

258-525: A lodge built for him in Freeman Township, Michigan , on Lost Lake. The house is constructed of brick and concrete block with concrete siding fashioned to resemble a log cabin. It had wooden floors and wall paneling, a 128-foot (39 m) long porch, and a stone fireplace. Chairs and sofas for the house were custom made by the finest craftsmen and upholstered using the highest grade of leather that Ford acquired for use in their most luxurious automobiles of

301-642: A night press conference in St. Louis on August 1, Gov. Bricker denounced Smith and the America First party, stating, "The act of Smith, in associating my name with his on a spurious ticket without any notice of any kind whatsoever, is the cheapest of demagoguery. I denounce it and shall not have my name used in any such connection." Six hours earlier, Gov. Dewey, the Republican presidential nominee, charged in Springfield, Illinois, that Smith had made

344-566: A policy called "speed up", by which the speed of the assembly lines was increased slightly every week, and employees were feeling the strain. The labor issues sometimes led to violent clashes between Ford's management, the police, and some workers. Henry Ford needed someone able to handle rough situations as head of his Service Department. Harry Bennett served as the head of the Ford Motor Company Service Department for over two decades, beginning in 1921. Bennett

387-548: A private airfield with an airplane at the other end of Lost Lake. In the event of an attack, Bennett could take the secret passageway, emerge by the dock, take a boat across the lake, and escape by airplane. An attack never came. The lodge and property were purchased in 1964 by the Boy Scouts of America , Clinton Valley Council. The property was developed for the Lost Lake Scout Reservation . The lodge

430-510: A security job at the Rouge plant. Bennett's interview for the job was reported to be short. He was asked only one question by Ford as to his capabilities. "Can you shoot?" asked Henry. He could. Bennett was known for talking and acting tough around the Ford plants. For target practice, Bennett would fire BB's from an air pistol at a small target mechanism on a filing cabinet in his basement office at

473-452: A success. All Henry had to do was ask, "Can you take care of that, Harry?" and it was done. Bennett was so loyal to Henry Ford that when a journalist asked Bennett during an interview, "If Henry Ford asked you to black out the sky tomorrow, what would you do?" Bennett thought for a moment and said, "I might have a little trouble arranging that one but you'd see 100,000 workers coming through the plant gates with dark glasses on tomorrow." In

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516-432: Is back on the streets where he started." The Ford PagodaHouse / Harry Bennett Boathouse on Grosse Ile, Michigan is probably the best known of Bennett's residences and has been a Great Lakes Landmark since its construction in the 1930s. Curious boaters, motorists and tour buses stop and admire the architecture and its massive size, literally rising out of the water. It was designed by an architect named Angelotti and built by

559-553: The 1944 presidential election were less than encouraging for America First Party members; of the more than 47,600,000 presidential votes cast, Smith received a mere 1,780, mostly from the states of Texas and Michigan . This America First Party was renamed the Christian Nationalist Party in August 1947. Initially, Smith announced that the party would not nominate a candidate for the 1948 election. In 1948

602-532: The Christian Nationalist Party nominated Smith for President and Harry Romer for vice president; according to the website "ourcampaigns.com" this ticket received just 42 votes nationwide. The campaign platform included a full-scale defense of segregation, as well as opposition to civil rights. In 1952 a rump America First Party nominated Douglas MacArthur for president, and Harry F. Byrd for vice president, without their consent, while

645-523: The Christian Nationalists nominated MacArthur and crusading anti-Communist California State Senator Jack B. Tenney . This election apparently marked the final time that candidates were fielded by the original Smith movement or its offspring. By this time, Smith and others in the party had become devout anti-Communists, and this worked against the organization's isolationist and non-interventionist ideology. The name "America First Party"

688-834: The Ford Motor Company. Some history: When it became too dangerous for Henry Ford’s “right-hand man” Harry Bennett to live in Dearborn, the Fords moved Bennett and his family to this Island Residence. So cautious was Bennett that he was known to forego leaving by the front door, instead taking one of the yachts, or the tunnel under West River Rd to a car waiting near the Stables to get him to the Rouge Plant in Dearborn. The Upper Level with its arched bridge, tile roof and wraparound decks, features three Bedroom Suites, Venetian Glass Bathrooms and Kitchen, Laundry, /Second Kitchen and cedar closets in

731-638: The Republican "Old Guard" . Smith adopted their reactionary version of isolationism and eventually sought an alliance with the America First Committee , although they found Smith to be too ideologically focused. However, there was common ground between Smith and the America First Committee regarding Jews and elements of fascism. When the America First Committee disbanded in 1941, some of its associates found their way into Smith's orbit and along with previous associates with

774-429: The Rouge. Visitors and co-workers were puzzled by the muffled sounds of pellets striking the target. Bennett kept lions as pets at his Ann Arbor estate. He startled fellow executives by bringing the "big cats" to his office and painting images of them. "Harry Bennett used to sit at his desk, with his feet up on the desk, and a target at the other end of the room and fire a 45 target practice in his office and if someone

817-547: The Servant’s Hallway, Ford Co. Artists’ "cut-plaster" and faux-finish walls, gold leaf dragons, lotus & fish, mahogany-paneled Library and fireplace (with secret panels) The Lower Level is surrounded by a half-acre for parking, and features a hidden circular stairway down to indoor 60’ & 80’ boat wells, Servants' Quarters and a Wine Cellar with Mahogany Bar, which leads to the Tunnel under West River Road. Bennett had

860-705: The Union Party, founded the America First Party. In March 1944, Smith stated that he and his associates in the party favored Charles A. Lindbergh for president of the United States. Wendell Willkie withdrew from the race for the 1944 Republican presidential nomination on April 5, following his complete loss of the Wisconsin primary in which New York Governor Thomas E. Dewey , Harold Stassen , and General Douglas MacArthur claimed all

903-409: The company, the Ford women stepped in and demanded Bennett's ouster. In September 1945, Henry Ford II was summoned to Ford's estate and informed that he would be the new president of Ford Motor Company. As his first act, Henry Ford II, then 28, had John Bugas hand Bennett his walking papers (after which Bennett and Bugas drew pistols on each other). Bennett told the younger Ford, "You're taking over

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946-468: The convention nominated Governor John W. Bricker of Ohio, already the Republican vice-presidential nominee, as Smith's running mate. Bricker, reached by telephone at Columbus, Ohio, said of the Detroit nomination: "I know nothing about it. I know no one connected with it. I shall not permit my name to be used in any such connection. I am a candidate for vice-president on the Republican ticket only." At

989-424: The delegates. Gerald L. K. Smith proclaimed that the candidate's decision "was a great victory for the America First people." Willkie had stated during the Wisconsin campaign that any candidate who did not repudiate "America First and Gerald L. K. Smith cannot possibly be elected president." "I hope," Smith said in a statement on April 5, 1944, "that the other possibilities within the party have learned by now that

1032-422: The era. The swimming pool beside the house provided more than the usual entertainment to Bennett and his guests: The pool was constructed with a viewing room (complete with wet bar) adjacent to the pool. A glass window looked into the pool under water, so Harry and company could enjoy watching their female guests swim. Since Bennett was always worried about being under attack, he included many security features in

1075-483: The fight while on his way to a meeting with Ford. Ghers, a Hearst newspaper columnist who had credibility with the police, convinced them that Bennett was not at fault, so they released Bennett without charges. On the spur of the moment, Ghers decided to take Bennett along with him to see Ford. At the meeting, Ford was more interested in Bennett's prowess in the street fight than the business at hand, and he offered Bennett

1118-406: The lodge. The lodge was surrounded by a moat full of pointed posts. The bridge over the moat was kept loaded with dynamite. The lodge has many custom features. Hidden behind a hinged bookcase in the study is a secret passageway which leads to the dock. Every step of the staircase in the passageway is a different height from the others to make tripping more likely. Bennett would practice running down

1161-607: The mid-1920s, Bennett often drove to Ford's Fair Lane mansion to ask his boss if there was anything he could do for him. By the time the Model A production was in full swing in 1928–29, the morning meetings had become a habit. For the better part of 20 years, Bennett spent his days at Henry Ford's side. Bennett led Ford's opposition to the Ford Hunger March of unemployed workers on March 7, 1932. Dearborn police and Ford service department men including Bennett opened fire on

1204-579: The pre-Pearl Harbor organization and the current party led by the Reverend Gerald Smith. On April 29, 1944, Smith released a statement claiming that Governor Dewey was "Willkie's man", adding that "true nationalists and American Firsters cannot support Dewey-Roosevelt-Willkie internationalism." The America First party nominated Gerald Smith as its candidate for president on July 31, at its first convention, begun July 29, in Detroit, and chose an electoral college slate to support him. Further,

1247-476: The protesters as they advanced toward the Ford River Rouge Complex . Four marchers were shot to death, and Bennett himself was hospitalized after being hit by a rock. By the beginning of 1938 Bennett was receiving phoned and mailed threats. His daughter Gertrude abruptly disappeared; the most recent prior threat had been "particularly nasty in its implications". A search run by federal agents

1290-437: The steps to memorize their spacing in order to give him an advantage if pursued. One hidden room had access to a central point in the ventilation system, where conversations from multiple rooms could be clearly overheard. The roof of the building featured a guard station parapet at one end, complete with a fireplace to keep Bennett's men warm while on 24-hour armed watch when Bennett was at the lodge in colder months. Bennett had

1333-552: The title America First Party . If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=America_First_Party&oldid=1146752905 " Categories : Disambiguation pages Political party disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages America First Party (1943) The America First Party

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1376-547: The way to make votes is not to attack Gerald Smith and the America First movement." Harry H. Bennett , of the Ford Motor Company , in a statement on April 9, 1944, repudiated claims that he said had been made by Smith that America First had the support of Henry Ford . General Robert E. Wood , former head of the America First Committee , stated in Chicago on April 16, 1944, that there was no connection between

1419-468: Was "happy and proud" to share a place with Congressman Hamilton Fish of New York on Dewey's "purge list." Smith added that Bricker, in "repudiating our sincere desire to mobilize 3,000,000 of our people in his behalf, displays the same weakness he showed when he capitulated unnecessarily to Mr. Dewey in Chicago." Ultimately, the vice presidential spot on the America First ticket was taken by former Father Coughlin activist Harry Romer. The results of

1462-516: Was 5 feet 6 inches (1.68 m) and in great physical shape due to his years of boxing and service in the Navy. Legend traces Bennett's relationship to Ford Motor Company to a 1916 street brawl in New York City. At the time, Bennett, 24, was a sailor and was just off his ship. He was saved from being thrown into jail by an acquaintance of Henry Ford, Bernie Ghers, who happened to witness

1505-407: Was a sugar bush that produced maple syrup. The property included a curbed circular drive. The barn on Geddes road had a cornerstone with "Harry Bennett" inscribed. Bennett had a second hideout for himself, his family, his henchmen, and his visiting boss Henry Ford, consisting of a group of buildings, a compound with 14 bedrooms, a 40 foot indoor pool, indoor sauna, and a barbeque pit over 60 acres on

1548-402: Was abandoned after the reservation was closed. Much of the furniture remains, but the pool has fallen into disrepair. Trees have been planted on the airfield. Harry Bennett had a similar outpost on the north side of Geddes Road west of Prospect Road about 3,000 feet (910 m) from his estate near Ypsilanti. It was a concrete cabin constructed to resemble a log cabin. A hidden door disguised as

1591-497: Was an isolationist political party which was founded on January 10, 1943. Its leader, Gerald L. K. Smith , was the party's presidential candidate in the 1944 U.S. presidential election . Party founder Gerald L. K. Smith had previously been a key part of the Union Party , which eventually split with Smith over his racial and antisemitic views. In the years following the split, Smith acted as an activist and fundraiser for

1634-562: Was born in 1892 in Ann Arbor , Michigan . He went to common schools. As a youth, Bennett started competing in boxing and won some city bouts. He served in the U.S. Navy during World War I . In the early days of Ford Motor Company, a security department operated under the name of the Ford Service Department. It was to try to control the growing labor unrest and suppress the emerging labor unions . Ford had instituted

1677-769: Was called to testify in the Kefauver Senate Crime Investigation Committee Hearings in 1951, in the same year he published his memoirs on his time at Ford. He then retreated into private life in obscurity out of the spotlight, enjoying good health until he was 80. The last six years of his life were spent in declining health. In 1973, Bennett suffered a major stroke. In 1975, he entered the Beverly Manor Nursing Home in Los Gatos, California , where on January 4, 1979, he died. His death went unreported for

1720-615: Was held in Michigan." Bricker added, "I hate demagoguery, religious intolerance and racial prejudice. They can destroy our free government, as they have destroyed liberty around the world. I shall fight them as long as I am in public office or as long as I live. "The right of religious worship according to one's own conscience is protected to every American citizen in the bill of rights. The men and women of our armed forces are fighting and dying to preserve that precious right. We must preserve it here at home." In Detroit, Smith said that he

1763-442: Was invited in to have a meeting with him they better make certain that his presence was properly announced or they may have intercepted one of those." Bennett soon recruited a collection of football players, boxers, wrestlers, and Detroit river gang members as Service Department employees. He knew nothing about making cars, but he did not need to. Bennett's close relationship with Henry Ford and his ability to get things done made him

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1806-515: Was launched and abandoned once it was discovered she had eloped to Florida. Upon the 1943 death of company president Edsel Ford , the founder's overshadowed son, Bennett was Henry Ford's choice to succeed Edsel. However, Edsel Ford's widow blamed Bennett for her husband's early death and effectively vetoed the appointment. Instead, Henry Ford appointed Bennett to the Ford Motor Company board of directors. After some attempted shenanigans with Henry Ford's will which would have given Bennett control over

1849-1001: Was used by several later campaigns unconnected to the original party: Harry Bennett He had various residences in Michigan, including the Great Lakes Landmark and Ford Motor Company; built Pagodahouse, the Asian-themed boathouse on Grosse Ile ; Bennett's Lodge near Farwell , a log cabin -style house in East Tawas ; and Bennett's Castle, an estate located on the Huron River in Ypsilanti , where he kept pet lions and tigers. After being fired by Henry Ford II in 1945, Bennett left Michigan to live in California. On January 4, 1979, Bennett died in Los Gatos, California , of undisclosed causes. Harry Bennett

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