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V5: What was it like at Ford then?
HJ: It was interesting because you were given projects, we were in the basement, you start there, and you are doing all the concept stuff.
Upstairs were the production studios. We could do almost anything we wanted, within reason; we could sketch far out stuff. Then we
had projects we were working on, full sized clay vehicles that were five years ahead. The thing was the unions wouldn’t allow designers to work on the clay models. So half of us would close the doors or come in on Saturday and the designers would work with us. They would say, move that a sixteenth of inch there and you were using mud all the time, so it was quick, you just put it on there.
In the area of advanced styling, you are given certain projects that you have to work on and if there was a problem in a studio upstairs, they would pull you in. Then you do sketches, rooflines or wheels, and every Monday we had a showing of our vehicle. There is a group called product planning back at Ford and it’s about eight to eleven people, and they would come in and evaluate your vehicle. Our vehicle was either taken outside or to the Rotunda and they could view it. Then it was brought back down to us and
that afternoon you would get a report of their evaluation. (laughs) The bumpers are a little too thin; we can’t produce them, too costly. So you have to go in and start refining. When we would get to a certain point it would be taken upstairs where they would do a full-size fiberglass of it.
V5: So what were some of the projects?
HJ: We did concepts on Thunderbirds, and a lot of contemporary vehicles. My first project on advanced styling, was a hood ornament for a 58’ Thunderbird (laughs) and here I thought I was going to be designing cars!
Jim Darden says, “Hugh, this is what your project is, there is a hood
ornament and a fender ornament. I was told to design the 58’ Thunderbird insignia on the fender and the hood. So, I started doing sketches and one of the fellows in the departments says, “Hugh, George Walker, who was the head of the department, likes balls.” Okay, so I ended up taking a ball, clear plastic and a ring and sketching it. First sketches, I walk in there the next morning and there is a gold star on it. This used to kill us. You had Alex Tremulus, one of the team that was responsible for the Tuckers, and one of my cohorts’ back there. He smoked cigarettes and if he liked your sketch, he would put cigarette ash on it.
V5: You felt like you were a part of the Ford Studio?
HJ: Yes, you were part of the system. Because a lot of people would just sit back there and do sketches and sketches and get burned out. There were a lot of designers that we would send back from Art Center to Detroit and after a year we would get the phone call, they wanted to come back, asking if we had anything for them, that always happens.
V5: So, you left Ford.
HJ: Actually, I got drafted. (laughs) Went through the infantry part, and since I had medical training from UCLA, I got sent out as a litter bearer. Then they went for Classification and Assignment, were they send you out. So I go in there and report to the lieutenant Wright. He said, “Hugh, how are you.” A fraternity brother! He asked if I knew where I was headed. Germany. He wanted to know it I wanted to stay in the sixth army area. I said, “Yeah.” The next thing I knew, I was assigned back to Los Angeles. I was then sent to, of all places, Barstow, California, Fort Irwin. Out in Death Valley. That was when I got into architectural design, I worked with the engineering department. Then I worked with the AEC. That was very
interesting, they wanted me to stay and become an officer. No thanks. (laughs) Two years and I said that was it. I got out of the service and saw an architectural firm needed an illustrator.
I then worked with Bob Brown for over twelve years. That was when I really got into architecture. The same time I was working with Bob, I was teaching at Art Center. We used to hire students from Art Center and they would work for us, doing models and presentations.
V5: What was the old campus like, compared to the new one?
HJ: It was neat.
V5: Had you been a part of the work with Craig Elwood?
HJ: No that was strictly Craig Elwood. In fact, we didn’t get to do anything on the master plan. or anything. It was set up when we got there! (laughs) The old campus was neat because it was an old girls school at that time, two stories and it was done in a sort of English Tudor type architecture. There was a great courtyard in the middle of it and that was were everyone got to sit down and meet each other. The way the hallways were, you had to sometimes walk through a class, you didn’t mind and the instructor didn’t mind, and you would go and look at the models being done. It was great.
V5: There was a lot of rubbing elbows.
HJ: Yes, it was a real close knit group and everyone would help each other. When I got over to the big campus, it seemed this closeness disappeared.The cafeteria was way down on the other end from where we were and there wasn’t the camaraderie that was at the other campus. We used to be able to sit out on the old wooden benches and talk, have a cup of coffee and a chocolate donut and it was neat. Everybody, as I said, helped each other. They would come through and walk through the classes and say, “hey, that looks pretty good”, or “I don’t like that”. There was a lot of criticism from the students.
V5: A lot of interaction.
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