Jane Hicks and The Flying Machine

Jane Hicks graduated from the University of Michigan about 1915.  She worked for both Henry Ford and Clara Ford, and she taught at Dearborn High School until 1959.  Here are some of her memories:

To me DEARBORN is HOME.  In all the years before we moved to Dearborn we lived in rented houses.  My father was a traveling salesman for gas and electric appliances.  Sometimes we moved because his territory was changed; other times we had fixed up a house and then were told it was sold, so we had to move.

My college days at the University of Michigan held thrills and tragedy, but always I went through those times on a shoestring.  Summers I was fortunate enough to be given positions in the Detroit Public Library – work I enjoyed, and the remuneration enabled me to buy clothes.

My first teaching job ended in an illness, and when I recovered, again I was accepted in the Detroit Public Library and entered a class of training in librarianship.  Shortly after I had completed that course, I was interviewed by Olive Day (later Mrs. Pulford) and was offered a position as librarian in the Henry Ford Hospital library.  I thoroughly enjoyed this position, both the work and the personnel.  But one day, out of a clear sky, I was moved to Dearborn.

 At this time we lived beyond Water works Park on the east side of Detroit.  To get to Dearborn on time I had to leave my home at five o’clock in the morning to catch the interurban for Dearborn.  It was dark and spooky, but this I did for years.

My days were busy in the Ford Motor Company library.  Mr. Henry Ford had a beautiful, large room made into the library with panels that opened to hide the filing cabinets.  There were luxurious draperies, stacks for the books, and boxes for the magazines.  A partition divided the room – one side was his office and the other the library.

Distinguished men were ushered through the library and usually I was introduced to them.  Fred Black and Ben Donaldson would tip me off when distinguished visitors, often authors, were coming, and I would have a copy of their book ready for them to autograph.

One incident I shall never forget!  Fred Black was proud of taking flying lessons.  One day about closing time, he came in and said: “Jane, would you like to take a trip to Ann Arbor?  I have to deliver a plane there.”  Of course I would, and off we went for one of my first plane rides.  He was proud of his new skill.  We turned upside-down and went through all the tricks.  Finally we arrived, right side up, in Ann Arbor.  Then Fred said:  “Jane, do you have any money?”  I looked in my purse.  “Three dollars,” I answered.  Fred had forgotten his wallet.  We went to a restaurant and ordered cautiously for we had to return to Dearborn on the Interurban at a cost of about one dollar.  It was great fun and when we got back, Fred took me first to his house to tell his wife, Maude.  She joined in the joke, after reproving Fred for his forgetfulness.

Mr. Ford brought Mr. and Mrs. Lovett to Dearborn to introduce old American dances to Dearborn.  Under Mr. and Mrs. Ford’s sponsorship, they became important social events.  They were delightful, and everybody got into the spirit.  The card-club group attended, augmented by many others.  It was a “dress” occasion and became very popular – an invitational affair.

There were also the Sunday evening concerts of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra to which invitations were issued by Mr. and Mrs. Ford, featured by a talk by William J. Cameron.