Roy Chapin

Michael Newberry

History 396 sect 002

Francis Blouin

6 October 2006

Prospectus

Roy Dikeman Chapin served as a key figure for the state of Michigan during the

Industrialization Era. A native of Michigan, Roy Chapin distinguished himself in several

capacities including founder of the Hudson Motor Car Company in 1908, a key figure in

the construction of the Lincoln Highway, and the Secretary of Commerce during the

Hoover administration. Roy Dikeman Chapin and the Hudson Motor Car Company is an

excellent example of Progressivism during the Era of Industrialization in Michigan. The

automotive industry is among the leading factors for Michigan’s change from a rural

setting to an urban setting. Without contributions towards modernization from

individuals such as Roy Chapin, the already delayed urbanization of Michigan may have

taken even longer. Roy Chapin’s economic success in the construction of the Lincoln

Highway and the Hudson Motor Car Company serve as perfect examples are

manifestations of the title of this history class - “Michigan in the Era of

Industrialization.” Several primary sources found in the Bentley Historical Library will

display Roy Chapin’s progressive contributions to the state of Michigan. Also, Roy

Chapin’s story of the Hudson Motor Car Company will undoubtedly be filled with

tensions experienced during this era, several of which may be found on our List of

Tensions.

The material that will be selected for use as primary sources is found in several

major forms at the Bentley Historical Library. The large collection of primary sources

are chiefly letters of correspondence to and from Roy Dikeman Chapin or other

representatives of the Hudson Motor Car Company regarding a product, idea, or political

issue. Roy Chapin spent a great deal of effort in spearheading the construction of the

Lincoln Highway, which he viewed as a major economic advantage for the automotive

industry. Much of his correspondence throughout the 1910s and 1920s dealt with his role

in the construction of this highway. These specific primary resources will be valuable

because they are manifestations of Roy Chapin’s economic progressive ideas. Also, the

local development of the automobile industry and its implications for the nation as a

whole parallels much of the subject matter for History 396. Roy Chapin’s opinions of

modernization/industrialization would evidence themselves in his correspondence

regarding the Lincoln Highway and would serve to strengthen a second primary source

regarding highway transportation; Roy Chapin authored The Economics of Highway

Transport. These two primary sources together create a powerful undertone