Robert McNamara served as Secretary of Defense under President Kennedy and President Johnson; he was 93 years old. Most remember him as Vietnam-era Defense Secretary but he also had an impact on Detroit, specifically Ford Motor Company.

The quality of new vehicles sold by General Motors, Ford Motor and Chrysler Group improved by an average of 10% during 2008, despite unprecedented challenges that pushed GM and Chrysler into bankruptcy.

The National Summit, a three-day event at the Marriott Renaissance Center is billed as “a gathering to define America’s future,” and aims to create consensus recommendations for increasing the country’s competitiveness in the areas of technology, energy, environment and manufacturing.