John Wilkinson (Franklin automobile)

John Wilkinson (February 11, 1868 – June 25, 1951) was born in Syracuse, New York. He invented the air-cooled motor which was used in the Franklin (automobile) produced by H. H. Franklin Manufacturing Company where he was chief engineer and designer from 1902 to 1924.

John Wilkinson
John Wilkinson in 1947
Born	(1868-02-11)February 11, 1868[1] Syracuse, New York, United States[2]
Died	June 25, 1951(1951-06-25) (aged 83) Syracuse, New York, United States
Education	Cornell University
Occupation(s)	Mechanical engineer, inventor, business
Spouse	Edith Belden (Known as DeeDee)
Children	Helen Wilkinson Blagbrough (1897–1947), Anne Belden Wilkinson Sherry (1899–1997), John Belden Wilkinson (1905–1951)
Parent(s)	Joshua Forman Wilkinson (1829–1889) Louisa B. Rayner[2]

He was a native of Syracuse and a member of an established, respected, wealthy family. His grandfather, John Wilkinson (1798–1862), was one of the original pioneers of Upstate, New York.^[3] As a young man, Wilkinson, Sr. was a city planner and named the newly incorporated village, Syracuse.^[4]