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The engineers are the Industry's prime-movers ; only constant change will appease them. None of the automotive technologists is well known to the public or cares to be. But the one most people know about is one whose whole approach to engineering is based on his credo of "change" supplemented by a belief that nothing can be taken for granted, that "A man must have a certain amount of intelligent ignorance to get anywhere with progressive things." He is a tall lank man who has been found to resemble both Ichabod Crane and Abraham Lincoln. He is Charles Franklin Kettering, vice president of General Motors Corp. He invented the self-starter,* and Delco ignition and farm-lighting units,† fathered Ethyl gasoline** and Duco.‡ Since he contrived the self-starter, he has far transcended tinkering gadgets. He is GM's visionary magician, perched on a high stool whose legs have grown longer and longer as the business has expanded, gazing into the future with the crystal ball of pure scientific theory. Forgiven and forgotten is his classic blunder of ten years ago, the air-cooled Chevrolet motor which cost GM 31 cool millions. Nowadays most improvements in cars are originated by independent inventors, developed by partsmakers. Mr. Kettering and his research staff have carried GM into rich fields beyond the automobile business. He was largely responsible for GM's frigidaire. If he gets his way. the next big GM sideline will be airconditioning. His fluency of speech and his position as No. 1 engineer of the biggest company have often made him the spokesman for his profession. ''Engineering," he says, "is a combination of materials and brains—the more brains the less material." *
In Detroit Inventor Kettering's domain is the big research building of General Motors Corp. The staff which calls him "Boss" (but his close friends prefer "Ket") is as large today as it was in 1929. Public appearances, consultations and the business of enjoying the millions of dollars he has earned have demanded more of Mr. Kettering's hours than ever. One of his appearances occurred last week when he spoke to the American Association for the Advancement of Science (see p. 34). As usual he spoke about his all-absorbing credo of change. "We have reason not to be afraid of the machine," he said, "for there is always constructive change, the enemy of machines, making them change to fit new conditions. . . . You have heard of Technocracy [see p. 12]. I wish I had those fellows for my competitors. I'd like to take the auto- mobile it is said they predicted could be made now that would last for 50 years. Even if never used, this automobile would be worth nothing except to the junkman in ten years, because of changes in men's ideas and tastes." So much does Mr. Kettering believe in Change's force that he would have all bond issues limited to 20 years.