On May 8, 2026, Bruce Balough from the United States, the grandson of Károly Balogh (Charles Balough), visited the Bánki Faculty together with his wife. The occasion of the visit was that his grandfather, after graduating from our institution’s predecessor alongside József Galamb, later worked with him on the design of the Ford Model T in Detroit at the Ford Motor Company.

Representing the Faculty, Dr. Tibor Farkas, Acting Dean, Dr. József Gáti, Honorary Associate Professor, and Emese Dávid-Tóth, Head of Office, welcomed the guests. László Szilágyi, President of the Maros-parti Veteran Vehicle Enthusiasts Association in Makó, also joined the program with his wife. They have played a key role in establishing and operating the József Galamb Veteran Vehicle Exhibition Center in Makó.

Károly Balogh graduated in 1902 from the Royal Hungarian State Higher Industrial School in Budapest, specializing in metal and iron industries. He then traveled to Germany with his friends József Galamb and Manó Fischhof—who had also graduated from the same institution—where they spent nearly a year at the Adler automobile factory. In 1903, they traveled to the United States to visit the St. Louis World’s Fair and gain professional experience. After their visit, the group went their separate ways to pursue opportunities. Balogh eventually settled in Detroit, where he took a position at the Northern Automobile Company in 1905.

At that time, his friend József Galamb was already working at Ford and offered him a position on the Model N project. Balogh spent only a few months at Ford; once the project was completed, he had to look for new opportunities. In 1907, he returned to Ford and joined the engineering team developing the Model T. Together with József Galamb, Jenő Farkas, and Gyula Haltenberger, they transformed Henry Ford’s ideas into practical designs and reality. After the completion of the Model T, Balogh once again had to move on. He later settled in Canton, Ohio, where he participated in founding the Hercules Motors Company and eventually became its president.

During the informal and friendly meeting, Bruce Balough shared numerous stories about his grandfather’s life and his work at Ford. He also donated several original documents to the Faculty, including letters written by Balogh to Galamb, as well as digital copies of historical photographs.

The participants had the opportunity to view the 1922 Ford Model T owned by the Bánki Faculty, which had been restored with the contribution of students under the leadership of Dr. László Legeza. At the end of the visit, the Faculty presented the guests with small gifts, including the English-language edition of the book “The Car of the 20th Century: 100 Years of the Ford Model T” by József Gáti, Sándor Horváth, and László Legeza.