[4][5] He was the third son of the founding Studebaker family, and played a key role in the growth of the company during his years as president, from 1868 until his death in 1917.

[9] John went to South Bend, Indiana in 1852 and contributed $8,000 (equal to $292,992 today) he had made in California to his brothers' funds to expand the Studebaker Wagon Corporation.

[7] They began to supply wagons for the Union Army in the American Civil War, becoming the Studebaker Brothers Manufacturing Company in 1868, with John as its president.

In December 1901, at the age of 68, John was the last survivor of the founding family[7][8] and, after a visit to a motor show in Chicago, he began to accept the urging of his son-in-law Fred Fish that electric cars, initially, would be the future of the Studebaker company.

[7][8] Fish, who married John Studebaker's daughter Grace in 1891, joined the company and provided the impetus for the production of "horseless carriages".

In 1904 he and John negotiated a deal with Garford of Elyria, Ohio to put Studebaker bodies on gasoline-powered chassis, creating the Studebaker-Garford brand name.

In 1911 the company refinanced and reincorporated as the Studebaker Corporation, producing gasoline-driven automobiles, discontinuing electric vehicles but retaining production of wagons and carriages.

The Studebaker Company operated seven plants in South Bend, Detroit, Chicago, and Walkerville, Ontario, with a net profit of $30,126,600.

[13] In 1959 actor Gil Lasky played Studebaker in the episode "Wheelbarrow Johnny" of the syndicated television anthology series, Death Valley Days, hosted by Stanley Andrews.