 It is also home to Oakland University, a large public institution that straddles the Auburn Hills and Rochester border.The county's knowledge-based economic initiative, coined "Automation Alley", has developed one of the largest employment centers for engineering and related occupations in the United States, and some major employers include General Motors, Ford, and Chrysler, collectively known as the Big Three.Founded by Territorial Governor Lewis Cass in 1819, sparsely settled Oakland was originally twice its current size.