| The Packard Story begins in the 1820s shortly after the
establishment of Warren as the "capital of the Connecticut Western Reserve."
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| Warren Packard, son of Lordstown's first postmaster William
Packard, came to the village of Warren in the 1850s just as an era of new business and
industrial growth was underway. Hardware stores, lumber and planing mills, hotels, and an
iron/rolling mill manufactory all soon carried the Packard banner during the years that Packard
and his wife raising their two sons and three daughters.
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| The sons, William Doud Packard and James Ward Packard, put their
college training and business experience to practical use with the establishment of the
Packard Electric Company in 1890, the year Warren entered the "age of
electricity."
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| The first Packard Motor Car was built in Warren in 1899 at the
Packard Electric Company's subsidiary plant, the New York and Ohio Company. Manufacture of
a successful automobile brought about the formation of the Ohio Automobile Company, which
evolved into the Packard Motor Car Company in 1902.
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| One of the early cars, the 1903 Model F, was sent out on a
transcontinental journey that year to test and market the durability of the Packard Motor
Car in a trip from California to New York City. The famous endurance run of this car,
dubbed "Old Pacific," was recreated in 1983. The "Old Pacific," along
with an exhibit of Packard Motor Car memorabilia, is on display at the museum.
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| In 1911, due to the Packard brothers'
success, Warren became the first city in the United States to light its streets with incandescent
bulbs.
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| The Packard Electric Company made incandescent bulbs and other
electrical products. With the building of the Packard Motor Car came the necessity of
developing an improved electrical system for the automobile. The production of high
quality Packard cable became a dominant part of the Packard brothers' operation.
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| Packard Electric became a division of General Motors
Corporation in 1932 and is known today as Delphi Packard Electric Systems. From those
early days as the leader in producing vehicle wiring systems, Delphi Packard Electric has
built and maintained global recognition for excellence in this field.
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| In 1993, the Packard Electric Excellence Hall of Fame was
started in conjunction with the National Packard Museum. Each year deserving Delphi
Packard Electric associates and employees are honored with this excellence award and become a permanent
member of the Excellence Hall of Fame.
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ExcellenceHall of FameInduction Date Honorees June 4, 1993 Basil N. MacGregor June 4, 1993 Herbert R. Lilley June 4, 1993 James Ward Packard June 4, 1993 William Doud Packard June 4, 1993 Carl Reinshagen June 3, 1994 James R. Rinehart June 3, 1994 Heinz Altemann June 3, 1994 George W. Chestnut, Sr. June 1, 1995 Michael J. Bindas June 1, 1995 Donald R. Dedow June 1, 1995 Kenneth A. Hoffman June 6, 1996 Mary W. O'Brien June 6, 1996 Elmer E. Reese June 6, 1996 William C. Wehmer June 6, 1996 Dr. Frank Gothe June 10, 1997 Lothar Kaiser June 10, 1997 Robert H. Sims June 10, 1997 Robert G. VanWingerden June 10, 1997 Newton A. Wolcott June 10, 1998 Richard N. Acker June 10, 1998 James A. McGee June 9, 1999 Michael S. Mamrick June 9, 1999 Patrick G. McCart June 8, 2000 Robert G. Pyler June 8, 2000 Lester L. Sudranski June 8, 2000 John L. Williams June 27, 2001 Richard M. Hess June 27, 2001 Richard G. LeFauve June 25, 2002 David L. Heilman June 25, 2003 Robert M. Cashman June 25, 2003 James L. Crouse June 25, 2003 Klaus Roenisch June 23, 2004 Charles R. Cunningham, Jr. June 22, 2005 Thomas J. Morr June 22, 2005 Lino Perez |
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