Abbey Paulsen

Join McPherson College “Wheels of Change: How the Automobile Shaped Our Lives,” a six-week summer experience that explores the people, innovations, and art of the automotive industry. Next week’s session on Thursday, July 16 at noon CDT is titled “The Road to Perdition – How the automobile liberated women and captivated teenagers,” with special guests Abbey Paulsen, high school junior restoring (and driving) a Model T, and Tabetha Hammer, a 2009 graduate of McPherson College and director of the Greenwich Concours.

Paulsen’s interest in antique automobiles began at an early age. She had her first ride in one when she was only a few months old. Currently, she is restoring her own 1914 Model T with her father and grandfather. She is particularly interested in pre-1916 automobiles and logs about 2,000 each year with her family in their brass-era cars. Her favorite trips have been to Massachusetts, Colorado, Rhode Island, Canada, and Michigan. She learned to drive her first Model T when she was 10 years old.

Hammer was captivated by vehicles as a teenager. Her passion for collector vehicles and restoration started with antique tractors when she participated in the Chevron Delo Tractor Restoration Competition. She won the 2003 National Grand Championship, making her the first female to win, with a consecutive win in 2004. In her ten years working at Hagerty, she has held various job titles and responsibilities including efforts on youth, education, and heritage. Most recently, she was appointed the director of both the prestigious Greenwich Concours d’Elegance, and the Madison Avenue Sports Car Driving and Chowder Society, a club of automotive media and industry professionals, originally established in 1957. In these dual roles, she is responsible for overseeing strategy, logistics, planning, staffing, and execution.

Tabetha Hammer

She is active in the car community and passionate about securing car culture for future generations. She is currently serving on the Board of Directors for America’s Automotive Trust and RPM Foundation and previously held a three-year term with the Antique Automobile Club of America. She has judged at various Concours d’Elegance events including Cobble Beach, Elegance at Hershey, and the Edison Concours. In her spare time, she enjoys being behind the wheel of her 1973 Mini and working on her newest project, a 1974 BMW R60/6 motorcycle.

Professor Ken Yohn, chair of McPherson College’s Department of History and Politics, serves as host and instructor for the webinar. For more than 20 years, Professor Yohn has taught courses on the social history of the automobile at McPherson College and has led student study trips to Europe and South America.

Each week on Zoom, Wheels Change will focus on fascinating topics from the advent of the automobile to its impact on war, globalization, and design. There is no cost for the series but space is limited and registration is required for each session. For more details about the series or to register go to https://www.mcpherson.edu/autorestoration/wheelsofchange.

Bob Casey, retired curator of transportation, Henry Ford Museum

Join McPherson College “Wheels of Change: How the Automobile Shaped Our Lives,” a six-week summer experience that explores the people, innovations, and art of the automotive industry. Next week’s session on Thursday, July 9 at noon CDT is titled “Thar be Giants in them Thar Hills! – Henry Ford, Billy Durant, and the mega-corporations,” with special guest Bob Casey, retired curator of transportation, Henry Ford Museum.

Casey worked for the Henry Ford Museum for 21 years before retiring. During that time, he wrote “The Model T: A Centennial History,” co-authored “Driving America: the Henry Ford Automobile Collection,” and was lead curator on the “Driving America” exhibition. He judges at a number of car shows and has appeared in several auto-related television documentaries. After retiring from the Henry Ford Museum, he served on the Ford Piquette Avenue Plant Museum board of trustees. He helped design and build Piquette’s re-creation of the “secret room” where Henry Ford and his associates created the Model T. He has a mechanical engineering degree and bachelor’s and master’s degrees in history. He currently serves as the secretary of the Society of Automotive Historians.

Professor Ken Yohn, chair of McPherson College’s Department of History and Politics, serves as host and instructor for the webinar. For more than 20 years, Professor Yohn has taught courses on the social history of the automobile at McPherson College and has led student study trips to Europe and South America.

Each week on Zoom, Wheels Change will focus on fascinating topics from the advent of the automobile to its impact on war, globalization, and design. There is no cost for the series but space is limited and registration is required for each session.

Kyle Smith, associate editor for Hagerty

Join McPherson College “Wheels of Change: How the Automobile Shaped Our Lives,” a six-week summer experience that explores the people, innovations, and art of the automotive industry. This week’s session on Thursday, June 25 at noon CDT is titled “Epic Road Trips that Upended the World – Bertha Benz, Ransom Olds, Horatio Nelson Jackson, & Alice Ramsey” with special guest Kyle Smith, associate editor for Hagerty.

Smith is a 2013 graduate of McPherson College and a lover of all things wheeled, vintage, and air-cooled. Often, he can be found in his garage preparing some project for another road trip. During business hours though, he writes and creates video for Hagerty. He hopes his well-rounded knowledge of both historical and technical information offers something new to even the most seasoned readers.

Professor Ken Yohn, chair of McPherson College’s Department of History and Politics, serves as host and instructor for the webinar. For more than 20 years, Professor Yohn has taught courses on the social history of the automobile at McPherson College and has led student study trips to Europe and South America.

Each week on Zoom, Wheels of Change will focus on fascinating topics from the advent of the automobile to its impact on war, globalization, and design. There is no cost for the series but space is limited and registration is required for each session.

Ken Yohn, chair of McPherson College’s Department of History and Politics, will serve as host and instructor for the six webinars.

McPherson College, the only college in America offering a four-year bachelor’s degree program in automotive restoration technology, announces the launch of a webinar series called “Wheels of Change: How the Car Automobile Shaped Our Lives.” This six-week summer series focuses on the people, innovations, and the art that helped shape the automotive industry and will feature car-world insiders from around the country.

The first webinar is June 25 at 12 p.m. CDT, with the topic, Four Epic Road Trips that Upended the World. Space is limited, so each week’s webinar will be on a first-come, first-serve basis. Online registration is on the college website.

McPherson College’s automotive restoration program started in 1976 and has become a nationally recognized and award-winning leader in automotive education. The program offers students experience outside of the classroom at some of the most prestigious car events, with 85% of students participating in internships at museums, private collections, and shops across the United States and Germany over the past five years. These institutions include Hagerty, Mercedes-Benz Classic Center, Rad Rides by Troy, and RM Sotheby’s, among others.

“Wheels of Change will spotlight our college’s uniqueness as a leader in the auto industry, while providing participants dynamic conversation with special guests,” said Amanda Gutierrez, vice president for automotive restoration at McPherson College. “Professor Yohn is well-known for his knowledgeable, engaging, and fun instruction on the evolution of the automobile and its impact on our social and cultural development.”

Yohn, chair of McPherson College’s Department of History and Politics, will serve as host and instructor for the six webinars. For more than 20 years, Professor Yohn has taught courses on the social history of the automobile at McPherson College and has led student study trips to Europe and South America. His next teaching adventure is a “Cars and Castles” tour of Europe.

“Everyone knows that automobiles completely changed how we live life, but not too many people realize just how many areas of our lives were revolutionized by four wheels and an engine,” said Yohn. “And thanks to our alumni and McPherson’s extensive industry connections, we will have expert guests from all parts of the industry help me unpack it all.”

“Wheels of Change” will cover a wide variety of topics, including how the automobile liberated women, the creation of mega auto corporations, and how the former General Motors executive Harley Earl revolutionized and democratized automotive designs. The full schedule can be found here.

The annual student-run car show at McPherson College scheduled for May 1-2 has been canceled. Representatives from the C.A.R.S. Club, the student organization that coordinates the event, recently made the announcement.

McPherson College announced on March 17 that it would complete the remainder of the spring semester courses remotely following recommendations by national and state health organizations due to the coronavirus situation.

“It is very disappointing to us. As you might imagine, it is impossible hosting a student-run event of this magnitude without a full assembly of students on campus,” Chris Paulsen, faculty advisor of the C.A.R.S. Club, said. “Students started working on the event the day after last year’s car show. It’s something they look forward to each year and are heartbroken about it.”

The event includes a Cruise-in and Evening with AR dinner on Friday night; both events are also canceled. Entries of those who pre-registered a car for the show will be retained and pre-registered for next year’s event.

“We want to thank everyone who supports this event each year,” Nick Navarro, student chairperson of C.A.R.S. Club, said. “We look forward to seeing them on May 1, 2021, for next year’s car show.”

The student-run car show attracts rare vehicles from across the country each year. Last year more than 400 cars entered the show, and Donald Osborne, an appraisal expert featured on Jay Leno’s Garage, was a special guest.

Roger Penske with scholarship recipient Kevin Boeckman.

A scholarship recognizing the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance Silver Anniversary Honoree, Roger Penske, was presented for the first time ever Saturday, March 7 at the Mercedes-Benz Gala dinner to a McPherson College Automotive Restoration student.

Kevin Boeckman, a junior in the program, was selected for the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance Roger Penske Scholarship. Amelia Island Concours created the scholarship to recognize its 2020 honoree and to support outstanding students in the field of automotive restoration.

This award recognizes Penske, who won his first national championship in 1961. Sports Illustrated named him “Driver of the Year,” and he went on to record 51 victories in 130 races during his career as a driver. After retiring from the cockpit, Penske left his mark on the motorsports world with his racing organization, Roger Penske Racing, later known as Team Penske.

Boeckman, who is from Wamego, Kansas, first became interested in cars as a child attending his community’s car show. After purchasing his first car, a 1968 Firebird convertible, he realized he wanted to make a career in the collector car industry.

“When it came time to decide what to do after high school, I knew I wanted to focus on learning to work on old cars,” Boeckman said. “I thought it was a miracle that there was a program like the one at McPherson College.”

McPherson College students have actively engaged in the Amelia Island Concours for the past ten years. Students serve as apprentice judges, attend auction events and seminars, and get the opportunity to network with industry leaders.

“We are honored that the Amelia Island Concours recognizes the importance of educating the next generation of automotive restoration craftsmen with its support of our students,” Amanda Gutierrez, vice president of automotive restoration at McPherson College, said. “The concours is a long-time supporter of our program and this scholarship demonstrates their commitment to engaging young people in the collector car industry.”

For the past five years, students from McPherson College have taken part in the Des Moines Concours d’Elegance serving as apprentice judges. Myron Stine, a McPherson College alumni and vice president of the Iowa Automobile Heritage Foundation, says the association with the college has been good for the students and good for the concours.

“It is an opportunity for the students to experience a prestigious car event and work with the judges,” Stine said. “I know those involved with the concours really enjoy having the students there. I’m proud that the Des Moines Concours recognizes that the students from the McPherson College automotive restoration program are top-notch.”

This year, six students from the automotive restoration program will have the opportunity to experience one of the Midwest’s premier car shows on September 7-8. They will work alongside judges that critique the more than 100 vintage and classic motor vehicles selected for the concours. The experience reinforces what the students learn in the classroom, said Amanda Gutierrez, vice president for automotive restoration.

“Our partnership with the Des Moines Concours gives McPherson College students an opportunity to experience the classic cars beyond the classroom and helps them to identify how they are part of the future of the automotive restoration industry,” Gutierrez said.

Students attending this year’s concours include:

• Wally Behrens, Crested Butte, Colorado
• Cole Tanner, Lunenburg, Massachusetts
• Cedric Brown, Culpeper, Virginia
• Matt Shrader, Olathe, Kansas
• Curren Harris, Hiwassee, Virginia
• Geoffrey Smith, Brownsburg, Indiana