Studebaker engineer Harold Johnson's 100th birthday

[Bill Pressler]

I'm with Bob P.--let's inundate Mr. Johnson with cards! I got one last night for him. For details, see October's Turning Wheels, page 12.

[BobPalma]

Thanks so much, Bill. I tucked a reminder into the October Turning Wheels thread, but greatly appreciate your starting a new one to promote this.

AFAIK, Mr. Johnson is not "on the 'net," so we can promote it here all day long and he'll not be aware of additional prompting being underway.

And please, as I said, just get a card and send it to Tim Lloyd right away, per Page 12 in the October Turning Wheels. Tim has a big house with plenty of room to store boxes of cards, and is happy to do so. You needn't put it off to try to "time" it to arrive on Mr. Johnson's actual 100th birth date; November 21, 2012.

(As an aside, Tim Lloyd's primary collector-car interest is Hudson. An uncle on his mother's side, name Hanson, was the Hudson dealer in the medium-size south central Indiana community of Bloomington. Today, Tim is fortunate enough to own a Hudson with a die-cast Hanson for Hudsons / Bloomington, Indiana selling-dealer advertising script on the deck lid. The Hanson family secured a Pontiac franchise as Hudson failed, and were succesful into the 1970s, when they sold the business upon retiring.)

Tim, if you read this, thanks again for collecting the cards on Mr. Johnson's behalf. BP

[8E45E]

I don't have my September, 2005 Turning Wheels in front of me to check, but wasn't Harold Johnson the engineer behind the aborted 'flat-four' project in 1960?

Craig

[BobPalma]

I don't have my September, 2005 Turning Wheels in front of me to check, but wasn't Harold Johnson the engineer behind the aborted 'flat-four' project in 1960? Craig

Correct, Craig. (I wouldn't say he was "behind" it, exactly, but he was certainly involved with it.) BP

[8E45E]

Correct, Craig. (I wouldn't say he was "behind" it, exactly, but he was certainly involved with it.) BP

Thanks, Bob!! If he lives nearby, someone may want to get a TW photo of him standing next to that engine (or better yet, him appearing to adjust the carb, or some other 'performing mechanical work' pose on it) in the museum, when he hits his hundreth. Now is the time to convnce the SMN staff to have it out on display until that time.

Craig

[BobPalma]

Well, Craig, that would involve Mr. Johnson being driven a full 200 miles each way from his home in Bloomington to South Bend.

I'm not sure he's "up" for that: It's mostly 4-lane divided, but not interstate-specification, so it would be a long trip for a centenarian. BP

[Hanson Motor Co.]

To all,
Thank you to those who have sent in their 100th Birthday Card to Harold Johnson. As Bob mentions though I have plenty of room for more cards. So please keep them coming. (I might even move a Hudson out of the garage to make room for more cards if needed)

With regards to the flat-four engine. Mr. Johnson and I visited the Museum several years ago and Andy brought out the proto-type motor for photographs. (it now is on display in the basement). Mr Johnson wrote an article for Turning Wheels that had a picture of him with the engine. We also visited the archives where we saw the original blueprints.

The consummate professional Mr. Johnson still traveled and worked in jacket and tie. He loved his time working with Studebaker 1937-64 (with a few years gone for Military Service) and loves that others still enjoy their Studebaker cars.

I'm looking forward to delivering a bag full of Birthday Cards.

Tim Lloyd

[Chris_Dresbach]

I think I will stop by the store and get a card for him tonight... And one for my mom since hers in tomorrow... Can't forget about that...

[52-fan]

My card would be on its way if the post office had been open Monday(my day off). Thankfully, I still have time to get it there.

[BobPalma]

Sure; there's plenty of time to get it there; Mr. Johnson's birthday isn't for another six weeks!

BTW, if anyone doesn't have a Turning Wheels but would like to send a 100th Birthday Card to former Studebaker Engine Engineer Harold Johnson Jr., please address it as follows:

Harold Johnson Jr.
c/o Tim Lloyd
3150 High Point Lane
Bloomington IN 47401-9605

Send the cards whenever the spirit moves you. Tim is accumulating them and will take them over for a small, private birthday party the family is planning at the time (November 21), per a PM I got from Tim Monday, October 8.

Again, thanks to all for participating. BP

[BobPalma]

'Thought I'd bump this up with a new idea before The Big Day arrives.

I just corresponded with Tim Lloyd, and he is yet to receive the 50th Birthday Card for Mr. Johnson.

Guys (and gals), we can do better than this! (Everything you need to know is above in this thread, and in the October 2012 Turning Wheels, so there's no need to repeat it in this post.)

Now here's an idea I had just before our Indy Chapter SDC Brown County IN Fall Leaves Tour & Meet yesterday (Saturday, October 20) that garnered Mr. Johnson an additional 23 cards!

Remember all the generic Birthday Cards you get from organizations like Disabled American Veterans, when they send you packages of them to solicit money? Well, I save 'em all for whatever reason. I took a batch of them to our meeting yesterday and handed them out to everybody there, with pens. Everyone signed a different card. Many included a short greeting to Mr. Johnson in their cards, in addition to the standard fare.

I then collected all the cards and will mail them in one larger envelope to Tim Lloyd tomorrow. 'Should cost less than $5 first class, since they are all in one big envelope, as opposed to 45 cents each times 23 cards.

Anyway, this is a good way to get him lots of cards at little cost if you have a chapter meeting coming up and someone is willing to bring a bunch of generic cards they have lying around, and then foot the bill for the modest postage the next day.

Or if you're "by yourself," just send Mr. Johnson a card, per the above. (As I type this, his 100th Birthday is exactly a month from today!)

Thanks. BP

[Hanson Motor Co.]

Hello All,
As of Saturday the 27th I have 51 cards for Mr. Johnson. This includes the 23 that Bob sent after the Brown County Tour. Thank you to all who have sent a card. Or even bumped this thread back to the top.

Many of the names on the return labels I recognize from those of you on the forum. What I'm asking now is that you copy this link to someone you know in the club who might not be a regular viewer of the forum to remind them to put a card in the mail. As Bob said, "we need to do better".

For years one of my favorite bits of morning television was Willard Scott on the Today show using the Smuckers Jelly name to wish those of at least 100 years a Happy Birthday.

Here is our chance to do it within the Studebaker family.

Keep those cards coming.

Thanks,
Tim Lloyd

[Hanson Motor Co.]

Thank you Mr. Krem for Mr. Johnson's Birthday card on an actual Studebaker dealer card announcing the new 66 Studebaker. I've gotten a couple of post cards.
Great idea!
There is still time!

Thanks,
Tim Lloyd

[BobPalma]

'Bumping this to the top during the week before Harold's 100th Birthday. His birthday is now ten days away as I type this, so there is plenty of time to get a card off to him in care of Tim Lloyd, per Post #10 of this topic.

Please, let's get some more cards to Tim for Mr. Johnson.

Even one of the generic birthday cards you get in an unsolicited packet from charities would be just fine; 'no need to go out and buy something if you have those sitting around collecting dust.

Thanks. BP

[BobPalma]

THIS MAN NEEDS TO GET A HAPPY 100TH BIRTHDAY CARD FROM YOU!



The above photo taken September 2009, when Mr. Johnson was already 96 years old! BP