DEARBORN, Mich. (AP) - The Ford Motor Co. Fund will award a $1 million grant for scholarships commemorating late Detroit Lions owner William Clay Ford’s contributions to the automaker’s design legacy, officials announced Friday.
Five college sophomores or juniors pursuing degrees in automotive design each will receive $10,000 per year. The fund is committing $50,000 per year over 20 years.
“Design was Mr. Ford’s passion, and his creative vision transformed vehicle design at Ford,” Jim Vella, president of Ford Motor Co. Fund and Community Services, said in a statement. “We are honoring William Clay Ford’s legacy by encouraging and supporting the next generation of innovative automotive designers.”
Ford died Sunday of pneumonia at his Grosse Pointe home at age 88. He was a grandson of automotive pioneer Henry Ford and owned the Detroit Lions.
He spent 57 years as an employee and board member of the Dearborn-based automaker, also serving 32 years as chair of Ford’s design committee. Ford was 23 when he joined the company’s board of directors in 1948. He remained a company director until 2005.
Addition details of the scholarship program will be announced in the coming months.
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