József Galamb

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The native form of this personal name is Galamb József. This article uses the Western name order.

József Galamb (3 February, 1881 - 4 December, 1955) (English: Joseph A. Galamb) mechanical engineer was born in Makó, Hungary^[1][2].

Galamb finished his education in Budapest at the predecessor of the present-day Donát Bánki Technical College. After receiving his diploma in mechanical engineering he worked at the Steel Engineering Factory in Diósgyőr as a draftsman, then at the Hungarian Automobile Co., where he won a postgraduate scholarship to Germany. In 1903 he worked in many German cities as a skilled worker, he got the best education at Adler in Frankfurt^[3]. When he learned of the American Auto World Fair in St. Louis in 1904, he used his savings to travel to America by ship in October. He found employment as a toolmaker at the Westinghouse Corporation.

He joined the Ford Motor Company (nearly two years old at that time) as a designer in December 1905. Subsequent to redesigning the cooling system for the Model N, he became the chief designer of the company^[1], and devised many of the parts of the famous Model T. He invented the production line in 1913. From 1915 he worked on the Fordson tractor design. In 1921 he founded a scholarship for the poor students of his native town who wished to take up higher education at trade school. During World War I he was busy designing military hardware, e. g. anti-submarine detection systems. He visited Hungary many times, lecturing at the Association of Hungarian Engineers and Architects. During World War II on Ford's suggestion, he designed a small six-cylinder car, which was completed in 1942. On doctor's orders he retired from active work in 1944.

His influence played a role in the Ford V8 and Eifel being assembled in Hungary from 1935^[4]. He died in 1955 in Detroit.

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