Frederick Mellinger (1913 - 1990)

Businessman. He was the founder of the world-famous lingerie store “Frederick’s of Hollywood”. He began his career during the depression when he worked for a mail-order company that sold ladies underwear. He suggested to his bosses that they sell black lingerie instead of the traditional white lingerie, but he was promptly fired for making such […]

Julius L. Meier (1874 - 1937)

Julius L Meier was born in Portland, Oregon on Dec 31, 1874 to German immigrants. His father (Aaron Meier) was one of the founders of the Meier and Frank Department stores. Julius Meier practiced law, and worked in the family business. He served as Governor of Oregon from 1931 – 1935, and declined offers of […]

Paula Kent Meehan (1931 - 2014)

Businesswoman. A minor actress in her youth, she is remembered instead for her line of ladies’ hair care products. Born Paula Jane Baer, she was raised within the entertainment milieu, was a childhood friend of Debbie Reynolds, and had early show business ambitions, but by 15 she had dropped-out of school, married, and had a […]

Joseph Medill (1823 - 1899)

Newspaper Publisher, Chicago Mayor. The founder of the Chicago “Tribune” newspaper, he was one of the most powerful and controversial figures in 19th century America. Originally a lawyer and newspaper publisher in Ohio, he became part-owner and editor of the Chicago Tribune in 1855. A staunch conservative, he was one of the founders of the […]

John McLoughlin (1784 - 1857)

“The Father of Oregon”. Superintendant of Hudson’s Bay Company, Columbia District (1824- 1846).  Family links:  Spouse:  Marguerite Wadin McLoughlin (1775 – 1860)*  Children:  Joseph McLoughlin (1809 – 1848)*  John McLoughlin (1812 – 1842)*  Marie Eloisa McLoughlin Harvey (1817 – 1884)*  David McLoughlin (1821 – 1903)* *Calculated relationship

Robert McLean (1891 - 1980)

Newspaper Publisher. Published the Philadelphia Bulletin, and served as President of the Associated Press from 1938 to 1957.

Robert Samuel “Sam” McLaughlin (1871 - 1972)

Businessman, Philanthropist. A native of Oshawa, Ontario, he is best known as the founder of the McLaughlin Motor Car Company in 1907, the first major automobile manufacturer in Canada. He began working with his father at the family business of McLaughlin Carriage Works in 1887, and gradually with the help of Buick personality William C. […]

Edward J. McKeever (1859 - 1925)

President and part owner of the Ebbets/McKeever Exhibition Company and Vice President  and part owner of the Brooklyn National Baseball Club (parent company of the Brooklyn Superbas ( later becoming the Brooklyn Dodgers) was born in Brooklyn, NY on March 19, 1859. Gained his fortune in the contracting and building business from 1886 through 1899 […]

Donald McKay (1810 - 1880)

Businessman. In 1844 he founded a shipyard in Boston that produced many of the United States’ largest and most famous clipper ships. One of the ships he built, the SS Flying Cloud, sailed from New York City to San Francisco (going around South America’s Cape Horn) in a then-record 89 days. During the Civil War […]

John Avery McIlhenny (1867 - 1942)

Businessman, Soldier, Politician. He was the son of Tabasco brand pepper sauce inventor Edmund McIlhenny and after his father’s death in 1890, he oversaw the business operations with his mother. With the outbreak of the Spanish-American War, he joined the First Volunteer Cavalry of the United States Army, the celebrated Rough Riders on May 19, […]

William G McGowan (1927 - 1992)

Founder and Chairman of MCI Communications Corporation. After founding MCI in 1968, McGowan fought a legendary uphill battle to gain access to the local telephone network controlled by AT&T, culminating in an antitrust lawsuit and the breakup of the Bell System in 1984. Among his many philanthropic endeavors, he founded the William G. McGowan School […]

James S. McDonnell, Jr (1899 - 1980)

Chairman and CEO of McDonnell-Douglas Aircraft.  Family links:  Spouses:  Mary Elizabeth Finney Mc Donnell (1905 – 1949)*  Priscilla Brush McDonnell (1914 – 2009)* *Calculated relationship

Richard James McDonald (1909 - 1998)

Businessman. Along with his brother Maurice “Mac” McDonald, he founded the fast food restaurant chain “McDonald’s.”  Family links:  Spouse:  Dorothy E. Jones McDonald (1909 – 1999)* *Calculated relationship

Maurice James “Mac” McDonald (1902 - 1971)

Business Person. A founder of McDonald’s, the largest fast food service in the world. He founded McDonald’s with his brother Richard “Dick” McDonald in San Bernardino, California on May 15, 1940.

Eugene McDermott (1899 - 1973)

Scientist, Businessman. He was a pioneering geophysicist, and was the founder of Texas Instruments, renowned for developing and commercializing semiconductor and computer technology.

John Fremont “Grandpa” McCullough (1871 - 1963)

Entrepreneur. After attending college in Oswego, New York, he moved to Davenport, Iowa in 1911, then went into the dairy business in nearby Green River, Illinois. In 1938, he and his son Bradley developed a formula for soft-serve ice cream. They tested their new product at the ice cream retail shop of one of their […]

John G. McCrory (1860 - 1923)

Businessman. He was the founder of the McCrory Five and Ten Cent store chain. Born in East Wheatfield Township, Cambria County, Pennsylvania, he moved with his family to Cumberland County while still a boy. He returned to Johnstown, Pennsylvania at age 18 and began working in retail stores. Four years later, at age 22, he […]

Phocion McCreery (1817 - 1861)

Son of Dr. Charles McCreery & Ann Crow (Wayman Crow’s sister, Phocion was in the wholesale dry good business with his uncle Wayman Crow at Crow McCreery & Company. Phocion was an original member of the corporation of Washington University in St. Louis. (bio by: Connie Nisinger)  Family links:  Spouse:  Mary Jane Hynes McCreery (1827 […]

David Hall McConnell (1858 - 1937)

Founder of California Perfume Company in 1928, which became Avon Company.

Glenn Herbert “King of the Wildcatters” McCarthy (1907 - 1988)

Developer of Shamrock Hotels. ‘Oil Man.’  Family links:  Parents:  William Peter McCarthy (1886 – 1959)  Leah Townsend McCarthy (1890 – 1979)  Spouse:  Faustine Lee McCarthy (1913 – 2003)*  Children:  Mary Margaret McCarthy Davis (1931 – 1988)*  Faustine Lee McCarthy Garbrecht (1937 – 2012)* *Calculated relationship

Frederick Louis Maytag (1857 - 1937)

Business Magnate. He founded the Maytag Appliance Company’s, and was its first president.  Family links:  Parents:  Daniel Maytag (1831 – 1906)  Amelia Maytag (1837 – 1905)  Spouse:  Conradena Wilhelmina Bergman Maytag (1859 – 1934)*  Children:  Elmer Henry Maytag (1883 – 1940)*  Louise Bergman Maytag Smith (1885 – 1973)*  Lewis Bergman Maytag (1888 – 1967)*  Freda […]

Louis B Mayer (1884 - 1957)

Louis B Mayer Motion Picture Executive. As Vice President in charge of production at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer from its inception until 1951, he was the mightiest of Hollywood moguls. Although not creative himself, he was an administrative genius whose best efforts epitomized all the virtues of the major studio system.  Mayer’s MGM was the ultimate “dream factory”, […]

Tom May (1883 - 1968)

Founder of May Company Department stores.  Family links:  Parents:  Morton J. May (1881 – 1968)  Florence Goldman May (1884 – 1938)  Spouse:  Anita Kay Keiler May (1891 – 1976)*  Children:  Blanche Rose May Selden (1916 – 1943)*  Siblings:  Tom May (1883 – 1968)  Sarah Jane May Waldheim (1911 – 2004)*  Morton D May (1914 – […]

Earl May (1888 - 1946)

Pioneer in the mail order seed business.  Family links:  Parents:  Richard May (1849 – 1912)  Rosa Ernest May (1854 – 1931)  Spouse:  Gertrude Frances Welch May (1892 – 1973)*  Children:  Mary Frances May Rankin (1917 – 1996)*  Edward Welch May (1919 – 1997)*  Siblings:  Flora May Snee (1875 – 1961)*  Earl May (1888 – 1946) […]

John Mavrakos (1913 - 1975)

Founder of the St. Louis-based Mavrakos Candy Company. (bio by: Connie Nisinger)

John Matthews (1970 - 1870)

Inventor, Businessman. Born in England, he was known as “The Soda Fountain King”. Immigrating to America, in the mid-19th Century, he created a fountain apparatus that could be positioned on a pharmacist’s counter to dispense carbonated drinks. He also invented a method to put carbonated soda water into pressured bottles. Manufacturing the carbonating machinery, his […]

Masayoshi Matsukata (1835 - 1924)

Founder of the Nippon Bank. Matsukata, a native of Kagoshima prefecture, also served terms as the 4th and 6th Prime Ministers of Japan from May 6, 1891 to August 8, 1892 and September 18, 1896 to January 12, 1898, respectively. (bio by: Warrick L. Barrett)  Family links:  Children:  Kingiro Matsukata (____ – 1906)* *Calculated relationship

William Henry Mathews (1838 - 1932)

Newspaper innovator. During his 50-year tenure as President and co-publisher (with Colonel Nathan Pond) of the Rochester Democrat & Chronicle, he introduced linotype machines to the American press, which eliminated typesetting by hand and produced faster and more accurate newspaper production.  (bio by: Mount Hope NY)  Family links:  Spouse:  Frances Augusta Walbridge Mathews (1845 – […]

Günter Mast (1926 - 2011)

Entrepreneur. He transformed an obscure German drink called Jägermeister into an international top-selling liquor. He also pioneered soccer (football) jersey sponsorship in Germany. After completing military service, Mast studied economics and then worked in the finance department of his hometown newspaper, the “Braunschweiger Zeitung”. In 1952 he joined the firm of his uncle, Curt Mast, […]

Paul Masson (1859 - 1940)

Vintner (wine maker).