Hickman Price

Price was born on August 14, 1911, in Nashville, Tennessee. He attended Taft School, Phillips Exeter Academy, and Columbia University. He graduated from Columbia University with the class of 1934.^[1]

From 1932 to 1934, Price assisted his father with farming wheat in the Texas Panhandle, at one point becoming the biggest wheat raiser in the state, as reported by Time magazine. However, bad weather forced him into bankruptcy.^[2] Price then moved on to become a member of the Bankers Trust Company in New York City. After leaving Texas in 1941, Price was appointed chief of the American Economic Mission to the Belgian Congo. Price returned in 1945 and was named executive assistant to the president of Graham-Paige Motors Corp. From 1945 to 1952, Price was vice president and director of the Kaiser-Frazer Corporation in Willow Run, Michigan.

In 1951 Price negotiated a two and a half million dollar deal with Israeli tycoon and security expert Efraim Ilin. Price put down half a million with Ilin bringing the other two million. Together they founded Kaiser in Israel. In 1952, Price became president and director of Willys Overland Export Corp., and Willys Overland of Canada. In 1954, Price was named be vice president of Willys Motors Inc. Price also served as president of Mercedes-Benz in São Paulo, Brazil. Price Jr. was a notable figure in the post-war automotive industry. Because of his leadership position with Kaiser-Frazer and Willys Overland, Price helped shape the character of the overseas car market.^[3]