Ray Harroun (January 12, 1879 – January 19, 1968)Â
American racecar driver and pioneering constructor most famous for winning the inaugural Indianapolis 500 in 1911.
Nicknamed the "Little Professor" for his pioneering work of creating, with Howard Marmon, the Marmon Wasp, which was a revolutionary design being the first open-wheel single-seater racecar.
At the first Indianapolis 500 in 1911, his use of what would now be called a rear-view mirror, rather than the riding mechanic specified in the rules, created controversy, but was ultimately allowed.
In 1916, Harroun started his own automobile company in Wayne, Michigan, called the Harroun Motor Car Company. The venture folded after World War I, and today a street in Wayne is named for him. (Wikipedia)
View of driver Ray Harroun in a Marmon racecar at Indianapolis 500 race. Crowd stands in background. Handwritten on back: "Biography--Harroun, Ray in Marmon Wasp, Indianapolis 500, intro. of the rear view mirror in U.S."
Courtesy of the National Automotive History Collection, Detroit Public LibraryÂ
