By CINDY LADAGE
Illinois Correspondent
(Assistance by Steve Parker)

WATERLOO, Iowa — On Jan. 2, Harold Brock, 96, died quietly in his Waterloo home in the early morning, after dining and visiting with many family members just the day before.

Born Nov. 23, 1914, Brock – who had been an apprentice under Henry Ford – became an engineering wonder who throughout his lifetime advanced many innovations that improved the lives of those around him. Brock was described as a humble and modest gentleman who always included “his team of engineers and associates” in any accomplishments, never claiming anything he did as a standalone effort.

In 1926, at the tender age of 15, Brock enrolled in the Henry Ford Trade School in Dearborn, Mich. He trained under various master craftsmen in the Ford Rouge Plant for several years, eventually declaring to Ford himself that he wished to become an engineer.

Ford, having no engineers, determined that Brock would serve as an apprentice to and be mentored by the master himself. Ford did enroll Brock in a few outside specialized courses; however, all of Brock’s schooling never qualified him as a certificated engineer. In the spring of 2010, Iowa State University conferred upon him an Honorary Doctor of Science degree.

According to his obituary, it was at the Ford Trade School that “he met founder Henry Ford, who became his mentor and introduced him to the great thinkers and inventors of the day. Harold met or worked with men such as Thomas Edison, George Washington Carver, Harvey Firestone, Luther Burbank, Harry Ferguson, Lee Iacocca, Edsel Ford and Henry Ford II.”

Serving the Ford Motor Co. from 1933-59, Brock began his career working on Ford cars and trucks. One of the accomplishments with which he was credited was making Harry Ferguson’s three-point hitch come to life.

Ferguson and a mechanic named Willie Sands had been working on the idea of a mounted plow attached to a tractor for 20 years. Although they never did get it to the complete satisfaction of Ferguson, they did advance the idea enough to gain Ford’s interest. Ford assigned Brock and his team the task of turning the idea into a reality.

They took it from a crude model, redesigning to Ford’s specifications and into production as the Ford 9N in just six months. The road to more modern agricultural mechanization had begun.

During the years of World War II, Brock was put on “loan” to the nation’s War Department. One task was to redesign the poor transmission plaguing the Sherman tank, along with improving its armor strength. The government needed a general purpose utility vehicle for use in the war.

Three companies, Bantam Car Co., Willys Overland and Ford, had all submitted designs for consideration. Brock was charged with getting this unit into production. He combined the best and most desirable features of all three designs into what  was called the GP; the troops eventually dubbed it the “Jeep.” It was put into production, all three companies utilizing the same standardized Brock design.

Gen. Douglas McArthur once stated the Jeep was one of the more important developments that helped the Allies win the war. Following the war, Willys acquired the drawings, secured a patent and began producing a civilian version that is still popular today.

Iowa Public Television created a documentary of Brock and in it he explained his departure from Ford and arrival at John Deere. It was the Select-O-Speed transmission that Ford wanted Brock to sign off on that ended his illustrious career there. Brock told Ford that the transmission wouldn’t work and they fired him.

A short time later, Bill Hewitt, CEO of Deere & Co., contacted and hired Brock to advance popular concept of tractor design. Deere had learned of the new transmission at Ford and was concerned that it needed to develop one to stay competitive.

Brock assured them that they need not worry, the Select-O-Speed would fail. He believed Deere could design one that would be successful. The “Power Shift” was developed and today, almost all heavy trucks and machinery use a modern transmission of this type.

 Brock’s obituary outlined his accomplishments while working at Deere: “He joined the design team at the John Deere Tractor Works in Waterloo in 1959. He became the director of Tractor Research and later the first worldwide manager of Product Engineering. He headed the design group for the Deere 4020 tractor, which has influenced tractor design ever since.

“He retired in February 1980, but served as a global consultant and, in the 1980s, assisted in a joint effort between Deere and Yanmar,” the obituary noted.

Once asked how many patents he held, Brock’s response was, “I and my engineers have too many patents to list, but that is not what is important. It is how we as engineering teams have improved the world in which we live, that is what is important!”

He realized the need for new innovations, such as the need for a larger portion of the rear tractor tire in contact with the ground. He requested that Mr. Firestone redesign the balloon tire into a lower profile to increase traction. The original lynchpin ring did not lock in the folded position, which resulted in it falling out.

In 1965 Brock was one of four community leaders who lobbied the Iowa state legislature to establish the Hawkeye Institute of Technology, and he was instrumental in building the campus south of Waterloo and later expanding its focus to become Hawkeye Community College.

His obituary stated, “He was involved with the school for 45 years, serving as a member of the board of trustees and the Hawkeye Foundation, many of those years as board chairman.”

Brock’s stated mission in life had always been “The success of others is my inspiration.”

In his later years he was a popular speaker and the author of The Fords in My Past. He and Bob Pripps also co-authored a book on Ford and John Deere tractors. Internationally known for his accomplishments, anyone who heard Brock speak remembered him long after the speech was over.

Several people, including his son, hoped he would eventually write an autobiography. Brock shrugged this off as “what I have done is not important.” What was his utmost concern right up to his death, was “the need to change the way we are educating our young people today.”

In his one and only Christmas letter he sent to family and close friends this past holiday, he wrote: “As I approach the century mark, they can now judge my contributions for building a better world for others.”

According to Brock’s obituary, he was widowed twice and is survived by three children, four granddaughters and four great-grandsons.

Note: Steve Parker is the secretary/ treasurer of the Ford/Fordson Collectors Assoc. It was through his association and friendship with Harold Brock that the details of this article are based, and for which he receives its co-writing credit. The photo at left is courtesy of the Locke Funeral Home in Waterloo, Iowa.