Kaiser-Frazer

"Even more important, the elder Kaiser was deeply concerned by the company’s future. Lambreth Hancock, a long-time personal aide, recalled driving Kaiser from Lake Tahoe to Oakland in 1954, when the company’s future looked bleak. Kaiser, usually voluble and gregarious, was very subdued. Finally Hancock asked the boss what was on his mind. “I’m just trying to figure out some way to salvage Kaiser-Frazer.” When Hancock said that many in the company were advising him to quit and were telling him that he was throwing good money after bad, Kaiser replied: “Handy, I can’t give it up. I recently received a letter from... a retired railroad conductor... telling me that he had confidence in what I was doing and that he had withdrawn all his life savings and had invested it in Kaiser-Frazer stock... I can’t let those kind of people down. I’ve got to find a way.” 65 Kaiser worried about his public image; but he also cared about people who depended upon him."

"Even more important, the elder Kaiser was deeply concerned by the company’s future. Lambreth Hancock, a long-time personal aide, recalled driving Kaiser from Lake Tahoe to Oakland in 1954, when the company’s future looked bleak. Kaiser, usually voluble and gregarious, was very subdued. Finally Hancock asked the boss what was on his mind. “I’m just trying to figure out some way to salvage Kaiser-Frazer.” When Hancock said that many in the company were advising him to quit and were telling him that he was throwing good money after bad, Kaiser replied: “Handy, I can’t give it up. I recently received a letter from…a retired railroad conductor…telling me that he had confidence in what I was doing and that he had withdrawn all his life savings and had invested it in Kaiser-Frazer stock…I can’t let those kind of people down. I’ve got to find a way.”65 Kaiser worried about his public image; but he also cared about people who depended upon him."