Studebaker, Clement

Studebaker, Clement (1831-1901), an American manufacturer, founded a wagon-building business that later developed into the Studebaker Corporation. With $68 in cash, Clement and his brother Henry opened a blacksmith and wagon shop in South Bend, Indiana, in 1852. Henry left the business in 1858 and another brother, John, joined it. Clement and John, along with their brother Peter, organized the Studebaker Brothers Manufacturing Company in 1868, and Clement became its first president. Over the years, Studebaker traveled widely, opening branches of the company around the United States and in Europe. By 1895, the company had become the largest producer of horse-drawn vehicles in the world.

Studebaker was born on March 12, 1831, near Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. He was trained as a blacksmith and wagon-builder by his father. Studebaker died on Nov. 27, 1901.