David Gottlob Yuengling (1808 - 1877)

Businessman. He founded the Yuengling Beer Breweries. The German brewer David G. Jüngling immigrated to the United States in 1823 from Germany. He anglicized his surname from Jüngling to Yuengling and began the “Eagle Brewery” on Center Street in Pottsville, Pennsylvania in 1829. The Eagle Brewery changed its name to “D.G. Yuengling and Son” in […]

Owen D Young (1874 - 1962)

Businessman. He served as the Chief Executive Officer of the General Electric Company, and founded the Radio Corporation of America (RCA) as a subsidiary of G.E in 1919, serving as its chairman until 1929. An important diplomat for United States in rebuilding of Europe, he devised the “Young Plan” for the payment of German World […]

Chaleo Yoovidhya (1923 - 2012)

Inventor, Businessman. Creator of the well known energy drink Red Bull. Born in Thailand into a poverty-stricken family of Chinese migrant laborers, little is recorded of his early years. He supported himself and his family with a series of jobs, such as bus conductor,  before launching a number of increasingly successful ventures. In 1962 he […]

Charles Tyson Yerkes (1837 - 1905)

Businessman. He was responsible for establishing streetcar lines in Chicago in the late 1880s and headed the syndicate that built the London Underground at the turn of the century. Labeled by some a “robber baron”, he was said to be the source of inspiration for Theodore Dreiser’s novels “The Financier” (1912), “The Titan” (1914), and […]

Hiroshi Yamauchi (1927 - 2013)

Businessman, Sports Team Owner. He served as president of the Nintendo Company from 1949 until 2002. In 1992, he acquired majority proprietorship of the Seattle Mariners. After leaving Waseda University, he succeeded his grandfather as the third president of Nintendo and during his tenure at that capacity, the company which originally made playing cards went […]

Thomas H. Wyman (1929 - 2003)

Noted business magnate. Mr. Wyman had been the CEO of many different companies, including CBS, Green Giant, and S.G. Warburg & Co. Inc.  Mr. Wyman also served as a board member for multiple companies, including General Motors Corporation, Hughes Electronics Corporation, Scott Paper Company, Norton Company, Toro, Norwest Bank, The Boston Company, Green Giant Company, […]

Robert J. Wussler (1936 - 2010)

Broadcast Executive. He was a former president of the Columbia Broadcast System (CBS) Television Network, and co-founder of the Cable News Network (CNN) along with Ted Turner. He joined CBS as a mailroom assistant following graduation from Seton Hall University in 1957, before rising through the ranks to head the CBS news and sports divisions. […]

Rudolph Wurlitzer (1831 - 1914)

Founder of The Rudolph Wurlitzer Company. Makers of musical instruments for bands, carousels, and theaters. His three sons Howard, Rudolph, and Farny were also part of the company.  (bio by: Paul Deluca)  Family links:  Children:  Howard W. Wurlitzer (1871 – 1928)*  Rudolph H. Wurlitzer (1873 – 1948)*  Percival Wurlitzer (1877 – 1878)*  Farny Reginald Wurlitzer […]

William Wrigley, Jr (1861 - 1932)

Industrialist, Entrepreneur.  The Philadelphia born youngster was put to work in his father’s soap factory after being expelled from grammar school doing menial labor. At age thirteen William left home and sold his father’s soap door-to-door from a two horse wagon in rural Pennsylvania, New York and New England.   After years of giving away […]

Philip K. Wrigley (1894 - 1977)

Chewing Gum Mogul, Major League Baseball Executive. He was born Philip Knight Wrigley in the Plaza Hotel in Chicago, Illinois, the son of the founder of Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company and owner of the Chicago Cubs Major League Baseball team. He never attended college and at the age of 20 he went to Australia to […]

Alfred Wright (1830 - 1891)

Businessman. He was a successful perfume manufacturer and a deeply religious man, who found that many of his employees were not attending church on Sunday mornings because they were too tired after long hours working the other six days a week. As a result, he ordered all his factories to be closed at noon on […]

Jack Wrather (1918 - 1984)

Oil millionaire. Producer. Built the Disneyland Hotel. Turned the RMS Queen Mary and Howard Hughes’ “Spruce Goose” into tourist attractions.  Family links:  Parents:  John Deveraux Wrather (1871 – 1945)  Ada Mazie Cogdell Wrather (1890 – 1965)  Spouses:  Molly O’ Daniel Danielson (1922 – 1996)  Bonita Granville (1923 – 1988)*  Children:  John Deveraux Wrather (1944 – […]

Cal Worthington (1920 - 2013)

Television Personality, Automobile Dealer.  Worthington landed his first job was as a water boy on a road construction crew for 15 cents an hour, joined the Civilian Conservation Corps at the age of 15 and later served as a second Lieutenant in the United States Army in World War II, flying for the Army Air […]

Frank Winfield Woolworth (1852 - 1919)

Businessman. He is best known for founding the F.W. Woolworth Company that operated a chain of discount stores across the United States that specialized in marketing merchandise at the cost of five and ten cents. He was one of the first to practice buying merchandise directly from the manufacturers and establishing fixed prices on items […]

Orator Francis Woodward (1856 - 1906)

Businessman. He founded and owned the Genesee Pure Food Company, and his marketing of “jell-o” made it a household dessert in the United States.  Family links:  Parents:  Abner Tarbell Woodward (1821 – 1865)  Phebe J Lyman Woodward (1820 – 1902)  Siblings:  Lyman Jones Woodward (1847 – 1918)*  Luther Woodward (1849 – 1904)*  Josephine Woodward (1851 […]

Robert Winship Woodruff (1889 - 1985)

Businessman. Served as President of the Coca Cola Company, and is credited with really building the company. Some of his early accomplishments was the pioneering use of service stations as major new retail outlets, and the use of the cooler and forced bottlers to comply with company standards that insured a uniform drink.  Family links: […]

Robert Elkington Wood (1879 - 1969)

Businessman. A graduate of the US Military Academy at West Point, New York, he was achieved the rank of Brigadier General in the United States Army. In 1924 he became vice-president and in 1928 president of Sears, Roebuck, a small rural mail-order company that soon became one of the great retail stores of the world.. […]

Dean Witter (1887 - 1969)

Businessman. He was the founder of the investment company that bears his name. It was started by him, Jean and Guy Witter in San Francisco in 1924, and dealt in municipal and corporate debt obligations. In 1929, he opened an office in New York, as well as becoming a member firm of the New York […]

Jacob Snow Winslow (1827 - 1902)

Businessman. Founded the J.S. Winslow Company, a firm that came to be the largest sailing vessels fleet in the  Atlantic Ocean. (bio by: Russ Dodge)  Family links:  Spouses:  Philena Morton Winslow (1832 – 1877)*  Melvina Wilder Clark Winslow (1858 – 1944)* *Calculated relationship

Julius Winkelmeyer (1816 - 1867)

Founder of the Winkelmeyer brewery. Winkelmeyer was born in Germany & emigrated to St. Louis in the late 1830’s. He became acquainted with Frederick Stifel, a small brewer & formed a partnership with him. Winkelmeyer was in charge of the commercial side of the business & Stifel ran the brewing side. By 1847 they build […]

John C. Wingate (1851 - 1924)

Community pillar of Pleasant Run, Indiana. In his honor, the citizens renamed the village “Wingate” in his honor.

Oliver Fisher Winchester (1810 - 1880)

Businessman. He is best remembered for the manufacturing and marketing the Winchester repeating rifle, which gained the reputation as “the gun that won the West.” He began his business career as a clothing manufacturer in New York City, New York and New Haven, Connecticut. During this period he discovered that a division of Smith & […]

Verne Hedges Winchell (1915 - 2002)

Verne Winchell was the founder of Winchell’s Doughnuts in 1948. He later sold the business to Denny’s Restaurants and lead a successful life breeding horses. (bio by: Joe Walker)  Family links:  Parents:  Verne Winchell (1887 – 1963)  Marie Augusta Stautz Winchell (1890 – 1950)  Siblings:  Verne Hedges Winchell (1915 – 2002)  Robert William Winchell (1923 […]

Winfield Scott Stratton (1848 - 1902)

Gold mining magnate.  Family links:  Parents:  Myron S. Stratton (1812 – 1886)  Mary Halstead Stratton (1820 – 1865)  Siblings:  Frank Myron Stratton*  Charles Stratton*  Diantha Jane Stratton (1838 – 1865)*  Anna Augusta Stratton Chamberlain (1846 – 1894)*  Winfield Scott Stratton (1848 – 1902)  Louella Stratton (1856 – ____)*  Jesse Eliza Stratton (1858 – ____)*  Ada […]

Robert Jay Strasser (1947 - 1993)

Business Executive. President and CEO of Adidas America. He was also a Nike executive who negotiated factory and sports marketing contracts. He signed Michael Jordan to Nike. In Mr. Strasser’s words: “The way ahead is clear. Be honest about the battlefield. Throw out the old rules that don’t make sense. Get out of the comfort […]

Robert A. Stranahan (1886 - 1962)

Founder of Champion Spark Plug. In 1910, Mr. Stranahan moved his struggling spark plug business from Boston, Massachusetts to Toledo, Ohio. Champion Spark Plug later went onto become a multi-million dollar company. Mr. Stranahan is also credited with adopting the “red bow tie” symbol of Champion Spark Plug that is still recognized today. (bio by: […]

Russell Stover (1888 - 1954)

It was in Omaha that a fellow approached Stover with a chocolate-covered ice cream bar idea. Stover produced and sold it for a year. After the first mad surge for the novelty, sales dropped off and the Stovers bailed out with $25,000. This novelty was the Eskimo Pie. The Stover’s moved to Denver where they […]

Clara Mae Lewis Stover (1882 - 1975)

It was in Omaha that a fellow approached Stover with a chocolate-covered ice cream bar idea. Stover produced and sold it for a year. After the first mad surge for the novelty, sales dropped off and the Stovers bailed out with $25,000. This novelty was the Eskimo Pie. The Stover’s moved to Denver where they […]

Jessie Mae McIntyre Stovall McIntosh (1909 - 1974)

Founder of McIntosh Nursing Home, Inc. Largest Africian-American employer in Muskogee, Oklahoma. (1957 to 1991) Soprano vocalist of the “Song Birds” along with sister, Myrtle Easter Adeline McInyre-Josey, they were known all over the state of Oklahoma and Kansas City, Ks area for their Gospel/Blues singing. Myrtle is listed in Who’s Who’s Kansas City Blues […]

Vernon Bigelow Stouffer (1901 - 1974)

Business Magnate.  After graduating from Wharton School of Business in 1923, Stouffer and his father Abraham opened a restaurant called Stouffer’s Lunch located in downtown Cleveland, Ohio.  They went public in 1929 and founded the Stouffer Corporation, a national chain of restaurants, motor inns, and food service operations.  Vernon Stouffer later expanded his company to […]