10 People You Should Know from Harley-Davidson History

Carl Herman "C. H." Lang

C. H. Lang (far right) emigrated to the United States from Germany. Already a motorcyclist, he became the first Harley-Davidson dealer in 1904. His previous business was manufacturing tools for the piano tuning trade.

Lang later competed as a racer, served as president of the Chicago Motorcycle Club and organized rides for local motorcycle owners. This tradition would go on to prove to be a cornerstone of the motorcycling business.

Effie and Avis Hotchkiss 

In May of 1915, Effie Hotchkiss and her mother Avis left their home in Brooklyn, New York on a Harley-Davidson model 11-J and sidecar. Over the next several months, they crossed the U.S., dipped their wheels in the Pacific Ocean at San Francisco and returned home.

Their adventure included extreme weather, camping, making new friends with other riders, and facing challenges like filling a deflated tire with a rolled-up blanket to keep going. When finished, they became the first female transcontinental riders.

William H. Davidson 

The son of co-founder William A. Davidson, "Bill" Davidson proved to be an accomplished rider, winning the challenging Jack Pine enduro at age 25—with a perfect performance of 1000 total points! He formally joined the Motor Company in 1928, eventually becoming President in 1942.

His leadership was punctuated by challenges including World War II, when H-D supported the allied military while also keeping the civilian business alive, as well as rising international competition and recessions. He retired in 1973.

Howard "Hap" Jameson 

Hap Jameson met co-founder Arthur Davidson in 1911. Arthur offered him a job on the spot, and Howard started at HDMC in 1912. His background in electrical work was the initial reason for his hiring.

He would go on to serve as an ambassador to clubs, lead publicity for the Motor Company, write an advice column for riders in The Enthusiast magazine (under the pen name Uncle Frank), and eventually run his own dealership. 

Crystal Haydel 

Crystal (far left) was one of the first women to work at Harley-Davidson, possibly the very first. She was with H-D as early as 1907, starting as Cashier. Like the founders and other employees, she was a motorcyclist and advocated for new riders to join the sport.

By the time she passed away in 1949, she was a member of the Board of Directors. At her death, President William H. Davidson wrote that “Miss Haydel was a key figure in all major decisions.”  

Fred H. Warr

Fred H. Warr was the son of a London motorcycle dealer who had begun his business in 1924. After World War II, they purchased and refurbished used military H-D motorcycles, then sold them to keep their business alive. Not long after, they became exclusively H-D dealers.

When Fred took over the family business in 1956, Warr’s Harley-Davidson was the sole dealership in the U.K. Fred co-founded the Harley-Davidson Riders Club of Great Britain and partook in rallies and races, including winning the prestigious RAC National Rally in 1974. 

Dorothy "Dot" Robinson

Dorothy's father was Jim Goulding, owner of a sidecar manufacturing firm and also became a Harley-Davidson dealer in Saginaw, Michigan. At 16, Dot was working in the dealership. Later she and her husband, Earl Robinson, bought the dealership and moved it to Detroit.

She competed in grueling endurance runs, including winning the infamous Jack Pine enduro—the first woman to do so. But her most lasting legacy was co-founding the Motor Maids, the first national women’s motorcycle club, which is still active today.

Scott Parker

Scott Parker started riding at 6 years old and was competing by age 12. At 17 he turned professional, winning Rookie of the Year for the AMA flat track circuit for 1979. He joined the Harley-Davidson racing team mid-season in 1981.

He won his first Grand National Championship in 1988, ultimately winning 9 championships within the next 11 seasons (1988-1998). With his final victory at Springfield, Illinois in 2000, Parker left the sport with 94 career victories, an all-time record that still stands.

William G. "Willie G." Davidson

The grandson of co-founder William A. Davidson, William G. Davidson formally joined the Motor Company in 1963 after studying art and design. He formed a Styling department dedicated to the design of motorcycles and components.

In his 49-year tenure, Willie G. led the design of iconic models including the Super Glide (1971), the Café Racer (1977) and the Fat Boy (1990). He set the standard for retaining the look that made H-D motorcycles popular, while continuing to move motorcycle design forward.

Vaughn Beals Jr.

Vaughn Beals joined AMF Harley-Davidson in 1975 as Deputy Group Executive for Motorcycle Products. By the late 1980s, AMF was seeking to divest itself of H-D. Vaughn rallied company leaders and others to offer to buy HDMC back from AMF. 

HDMC then faced unprecedented difficulties including a recession, downturn in the market, and quality issues. He assembled leadership and the team executed the most comprehensive transformation in company history. By 1986, H-D made its first post-AMF public offering of stock