Bennett E. Bidwell ’51

Bennett E. Bidwell ’51, a long-time senior executive in the automotive industry, died in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, on October 14, 2011. He is survived by his wife, Paula, two children and four grandchildren. A third child predeceased him. In a career that spanned nearly 40 years, Ben served as executive vice president of Ford Motor Credit Co., group vice president in charge of Ford’s North American car and truck group, president of Hertz Corp., executive vice president of sales and marketing at Chrysler Corp. and chairman of Chrysler Motors. He was a member of Chrysler’s four-person office of the chairman as well as a member of Chrysler’s board of directors. A protégé of Lee Iacocca at both Ford and Chrysler, Ben has been described as those companies’ “most colorful executive.” Other frequently cited qualities include “smart, funny, outspoken, no-nonsense, loyal and compassionate.” He was widely known as “an unabashed, flag-waving fan of American cars.” Besides his corporate directorships Ben served as a trustee of the Henry Ford Health System and the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Ben grew up in Concord, New Hampshire, and served in the U.S. Army for 18 months before enrolling at Dartmouth. He left Dartmouth before graduating, finishing at Babson College, from which institution he also received an honorary doctorate in 1974.