LYCOS RETRIEVER 
William Davidson: Harley-Davidsons
built 262 days ago
Born in 1870, Davidson was the eldest of the three Davidson brothers. Employees looked at Davidson as a fatherly figure and felt close to the man they affectionately called "Old Bill." Davidson did most of the hiring in the early years, having what many described as a special understanding of human nature. He had a knack for finding people who were loyal and enthusiastic about working at Harley-Davidson. Davidson kept his door open and welcomed employees to drop in at any time if they had a question or problem.
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One of the original founders of Harley-Davidson, William S. Harley was working as a draftsman at the time he and Arthur Davidson built their first motorcycle. Harley served as Harley-Davidson's chief engineer and treasurer until his death from heart failure on September 18, 1943.
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The unsuccessful battle to keep a union out of Harley-Davidson in 1937 was hard on Davidson. Those close to him said he felt hurt that the employees with whom he had such a close relationship felt the need to form a union. Davidson died on April 21, 1937, just two days after signing the agreement admitting a union to his shop.
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