Who was Harley-Davidson’s first president?

Walter Davidson was Harley-Davidson’s first president.

Walter Davidson was one of the company’s four founders and served as its president during the formative years of the Milwaukee motorcycle manufacturer. His brothers Arthur and William A. Davidson also held important leadership roles, while William S. Harley supplied the engineering partnership represented in the company’s name.

As president, Walter Davidson helped guide Harley-Davidson from a small workshop into a commercial motorcycle business. His responsibilities included business management, production growth and the development of a dealer network. The company’s early success depended on combining Harley’s engineering work with the Davidsons’ manufacturing and commercial leadership.

The four founders are often confused with the company’s early officers. William S. Harley was the chief engineer and later a senior executive, but Walter Davidson—not Harley—was the first president. Walter’s son, William H. Davidson, later became an important Harley-Davidson executive as well.