Donald N. Frey
| Donald Nelson Frey | |
|---|---|
| Born |
March 23, 1923 St. Louis, Missouri |
| Died | March 5, 2010 (aged 86) Evanston, Illinois |
| Nationality | United States |
| Engineering career | |
| Projects | automotive engineering, manufacturing, information systems |
| Awards | National Medal of Technology |
 Donald Frey, celebrating the 40th Anniversary of the Mustang, 2004
|
Donald Nelson Frey (pronounced Frī ) (March 23, 1923 – March 5, 2010), was widely known as the Ford Motor Company product manager who, along with Lee Iacocca and others, developed the Ford Mustang into a viable project — and who ultimately supervised the development of the car in a record 18 months.
At times besieged by autograph seekers for his role with the Mustang, Frey, a third generation engineer, was "one of the few auto executives with experience in all three of the industry's essential areas: design, manufacture and sales." He had nonetheless been most proud of assisting Ford in introducing safety improvements to their lineup, including disc brakes and radial tires. In 1967, Time called Frey "Detroit’s sharpest idea man".
Frey went on to a successful career as an innovator in manufacturing and information systems and as chairman and CEO Bell & Howell. In 1990, he received the National Medal of Technology in a White House ceremony.
Frey was born to Edward Muir Luken and Margaret Bryden (née Nelson) Frey in St. Louis, Missouri. His paternal great-grandfather, Abraham Frey, was born in Leipzig, Germany.
He grew up with his younger brother Stuart M. (who later became chief engineer at Ford Motor Company after Donald) in Waterloo, Iowa, where his father worked for Deere & Company. His father, a metallurgist, designed the 1923 John Deere Model D tractor, and would later work for the Allis-Chalmers Manufacturing Company. As children, Frey and his brother had once made gunpowder — from scratch.
Frey received his diploma from Bethel High School. In 1940, he began engineering school at Michigan State College.
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