American Originals
Daniel Burnham: American Visionary (An American Original)
Our American Originals series of biographies has focused on men and women who started or built large enterprises that touched the lives of millions, often creating thousands of jobs....
American Originals
Kirk Kerkorian: The Risk Taker Who Rose from Poverty to Change Las Vegas and Armenia (An American Original)
One of the myths about great entrepreneurs is that they love risk and are big gamblers. In fact, they usually do everything they can...
American Originals
Raymond Loewy: The Unsung Story of the Greatest Industrial Designer (An American Original)
Outside of the field of product and transportation design, too few people know who Raymond Loewy was. The best-known industrial designer, founder of the...
American Originals
Mary Pickford: The Ultimate Rags to Riches Story (An American Original)
On February 11, 1898, John Charles Smith of Toronto hit his head and died of a cerebral hemorrhage. The Irishman left behind his wife,...
American Originals
Jim Casey: The Unknown Entrepreneur Who Built the Great UPS (An American Original)
These days the news and chatter on the Internet are filled with stories of Apple, Amazon, Google, and Facebook. In this environment, it can...
American Originals
Henry J. Kaiser: California Dreamer and Workers’ Friend (An American Original)
Despite being often forgotten today, Henry J. Kaiser was one of the most unusual and diverse entrepreneurs in American history. Quitting school at the...
American Originals
Milton Hershey: Chocolate King, Confectioner, and Creator (An American Original)
Born in rural Pennsylvania in 1857, Milton Hershey attended seven different schools and never made it beyond the fourth grade. At 15, he found...
American Originals
J.W. Marriott: From Herding Sheep to Hospitality Empire (An American Original)
Growing up on a hardscrabble sheep and sugar beet farm in Utah, John Willard “Bill” Marriott sought opportunities beyond his humble Mormon beginnings. In...
American Originals
Walt Disney: Entrepreneur Without Peer (An American Original)
Preface: A Most Controversial Man
In this story, we address the life and work of Walter Elias Disney, one of the most famous men in...
American Originals
J.C. Penney: A Life of Perpetual Sharing (An American Original)
From inauspicious beginnings rose one of the great entrepreneurs in American history, a man with unusual dedication and exceptionally high ideals. James Cash (J.C.)...
American Originals
Sam Walton: How Curiosity and Humility Built the World’s Largest Company (An American Original)
The most important principles of retailing are quite simple:
Know your customers and the role you play in their lives.
Know your merchandise and...