After WWII, the DuPont family sold its controlling interest to a young industrialist named Ralph B. Rogers.
Rogers acquired both Indian and Torque Manufacturing Co. ― a company that had two smaller, vertical-twin models which had been designed by a former Indian employee. Rogers thought those lighter vertical twins would be more popular with returning soldiers who had been exposed to lighter and sportier bikes in Europe.
Decades later, Rogers (who was a dedicated Republican) found himself at odds with Richard Nixon. At the time, Rogers was the chairman of the Public Broadcasting Service. Nixon, who thought PBS was anti-Republican, wanted to cut its funding and force it to drop political commentary. Rogers pushed back and is generally credited with saving PBS.