Durant's Right-Hand Man

Download or read book Durant's Right-Hand Man written by Paul Arculus and published by FriesenPress. This book was released on 2011-09 with total page 370 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Edwin Campbell was born in rural Ontario, graduated from medical school and settled in Flint where he met Billy Durant and married Durant's daughter Margery. Campbell gave up his medical practice in order to work with Durant in the creation of General Motors. When Durant and Campbell lost control of GM in 1910, Campbell became a founder of the Chevrolet Motor Company which he and Durant built up so that they could use Chevrolet shares to regain control of GM. Campbell's early friendship with Sam McLaughlin as a contributing factor to the creation of General Motors of Canada. Durant became a Wall Street guru and helped Campbell to become immensely wealthy. The Campbells moved to New York and became immersed in the social life of the city. After their divorce in 1919 Margery wound her way through a number of well publicized affairs and marriages. Following Campbell's death in 1929, Durant's life began slow spiral into ill health and eventual poverty. Margery was introduced to her fourth husband by her friend Amelia Earhart. This biography takes the reader through the intrigue of the automotive history of the early twentieth century, as well as the social history of the period.