Frederick Morrell Zeder (March 19, 1886 – February 24, 1951) was an American scientist and engineer who was one of the Studebaker engineers known as The Three Musketeers.[1]
Early life
Frederick Morrell Zeder was born on March 19, 1886, in Bay City, Michigan, to Rudolph John Zeder.[2][citation needed] At the age of eleven, Zeder worked at a box factory. He then worked as a railroad call boy, car checker and machinist apprentice. He attended Bay City High School.[2] He graduated from the University of Michigan in 1909 with a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering.[2][3]
Career
After graduating, Zeder worked as an apprentice at Allis-Chalmers in Milwaukee. In 1910, he became an erecting engineer at the firm.[2] Later in 1910, Zeder joined E-M-F Company and became a leader in the company's engineering laboratories.[2]
In 1913, Zeder joined Studebaker as a consulting engineer and later became chief engineer. He left Studebaker in 1920.[2][4] In 1921, he joined Skelton and Breer in forming the Zeder-Skelton-Breer Engineering Company, a partnership that would later be known as The Three Musketeers.[2][1] They were involved in the founding of the Chrysler Corporation, and were hand-picked by Walter Chrysler, then with Maxwell Motor Corporation, to come with him when he started the new company in 1923.[2][citation needed] He helped design the original Chrysler car in 1924.[5] Zeder served as vice chairman of Chrysler's board of directors and vice president of engineering until his death.[5]
Zeder married Lucille Monroe in 1919. They had one son and three daughters, Fred M. Jr., Dorothy June, Priscilla Ann and Margaret Lucille.[2][4] He lived at 17500 E. Jefferson in Grosse Pointe.[2]
Zeder died while on vacation on February 24, 1951, at St. Francis Hospital in Miami Beach.[5][2] He was buried at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery.[6]
Awards
Zeder received a honorary master's degree in engineering from the University of Michigan in 1933.[2] He was inducted into the Automotive Hall of Fame in 1998.[7]
