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INVENTOR / PHILANTHROPIST |
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A listing of
inventors who believed that all personal wealth beyond that required to
supply the needs of one's family should be regarded as a trust fund to
be administered for the benefit of the community. These are the men and
women who believe that an individual is morally obligated to share the
fruits of success with others resulted in significant contributions to
society. |
Bell,
Alexander Graham
(1847-1922) |
The Alexander Graham Bell Association
for the Deaf was established in 1890 to empower persons who are hearing impaired to function independently.
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Carlson, Chester
(1906-1968) |
Before Chester Carlson died he had given
away some $100 million to various foundations and charities. During
Carlson's last years he was given dozens of honors for his pioneering
work in xerography. |
Carnegie, Andrew
(1835-1919) |
During his lifetime, Carnegie gave away over $350
million. At his death in 1919, the last $30,000,000 was likewise given away to
foundations, charities and to pensioners. |
Carver, George
Washington
(1864 - 1943) |
Upon his death in 1943, George
Washington Carver contributed his life savings to establish a
research institute at Tuskegee University in Tuskegee, Alabama |
Eastman, George
(1854-1932) |
Notable among his
contributions were a gift to the (MIT) Massachusetts Institute of
Technology and endowments for the establishment of the Eastman
School of Music in 1918 and a school of medicine and dentistry in
1921 at the University of Rochester. |
Ford, Henry
(1863-1947) |
Founded in 1936, the Ford Foundation operates as both a
national and international foundation. Since its inception it has
been an independent, nonprofit, nongovernmental organization. It has
provided more than $12 billion for grants, projects and loans.
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Fuller, R. Buckminster
(1895-1983) |
The Buckminster Fuller
Institute is committed to a successful and sustainable future for
100% of humanity. Founded in 1983 and inspired by the Design Science
principles pioneered by the late Buckminster Fuller. |
Hershey, Milton
(1857-1945) |
The Milton Hershey School, along with Hershey’s other philanthropic
endeavors, have expanded and prospered, with the school housing and
educating hundreds of boys and girls. In a long and useful life,
Milton S. Hershey proved himself to be a courageous entrepreneur, a
determined builder and a compassionate humanitarian. |
Kamen, Dean
(b1951- ) |
In 1989, Dean Kamen founded FIRST
(For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology). FIRST
uses wholesale marketing and media techniques to motivate the next
generation to want to learn about science and technology. |
Kellogg, Will Keith
(1860-1951) |
From the outset, the Kellogg
Foundation's mission was clear. "Use the money as you please,"
Kellogg said, "so long as it promotes the health, happiness, and
well-being of children." |
Lemelson, Jerome
(1923-1997) |
The Lemelson Foundation is a private
philanthropy established by one of the most prolific U.S. inventors,
Jerome Lemelson, and his family. It uses its resources to inspire,
encourage and recognize inventors, innovators and entrepreneurs.
|
Lowe, Edward
(1920-1995) |
Edward Lowe committed a good part of
his fortune to create "... a whole campus for entrepreneurs" at a
private 3,000-acre complex outside his boyhood hometown of
Cassopolis, Michigan. |
Nobel, Alfred
(1833-1896) |
A private institution established in
1900 based on the will of Alfred Nobel. The Foundation manages the
assets made available through the will for the awarding of the Nobel
Prize in Physics, Chemistry, Physiology or Medicine, Literature and
Peace. |
Warner, H. Ty
(b1944- ) |
Ty Warner is a generous philanthropist, with donations
of $6 million to the Andre Agassi Foundation for underprivileged children in
Las Vegas and $3 million for the creation of Ty Warner Park, $8M for the Ty
Warner Sea Park in California and the gift of 10000 Beanie Babies for
children in Iraq. |
Wright, Frank Lloyd
(1867-1959) |
The Frank Lloyd Wright
Foundation is committed to advancing the ideas and principles of
organic architecture, organic education, and conservation of the
natural environment. |
TO LEARN MORE
ON THE BOOKSHELF:
Always Inventing
by Tom L. Matthews, Gilbert M. Grosvenor / Hardcover: 64 pages / National Geographic Soc.
(1999)
The primary focus is Bell's inventions, however, the book also tells of his other
main interests: his family and the education of the deaf.
Carnegie
by Peter Krass / Hardcover: 624 pages / John Wiley & Sons; (August 30, 2002)
One of the major figures in American history, Andrew Carnegie was a ruthless
businessman who made his fortune in the steel industry and ultimately gave most of it
away.
Wheels for the World: Henry Ford, His Company,
and a Century of Progress, 1903-2003
by Douglas Brinkley /
Hardcover: 858 pages / Viking Press; (April
28, 2003)
In conjunction with its 100th anniversary, the Ford
Motor Company opened its monumental archives to the unfettered
research of author/historian Douglas Brinkley. Few endeavors in
history can match Ford Motor Company's impact on human civilization.
Launched a century ago by a bumptious squad of clever eccentrics-led
by the odd visionary mechanic Henry Ford-the first mass-production
auto manufacturer would push the rest of the industrialized world into
the modern age.
Buckminster Fuller's Universe: His Life and Work
by Lloyd Steven Sieden / Paperback - 511 pages (August 11, 2000) / Perseus Book Group
A sympathetic, even advocator, account of the life and work of the designer, engineer, and
architect, interpreting his creations as visible models of his philosophy. Well
illustrated, including diagrams showing the principles of his designs.
Code Name Ginger: The Story Behind Segway and Dean Kamen's Quest to
Invent a New World
by Steve Kempe / Hardcover: 336 pages / Harvard Business School Press
(June, 2003)
This is the unforgettable story of "Ginger," officially named the Segway
Human Transporter: a self-balancing, electric-powered people mover that
Kamen called "magic sneakers." With the pacing and excitement of a
suspense novel, Code Name Ginger documents the birth of a marvelous new
technology and the feats of its remarkable inventor, his team of
engineers, and the financiers who pursued them.
Kellogg's
by William Gould / Hardcover - 48 pages / McGraw Hill - NTC (September
1997)
Introduces basic business concepts and explains what makes an enterprise
successful by telling the history of the Kellogg Company and the story
of its founder
Inventing for the Environment (Lemelson Center Studies in Invention and
Innovation)
by Arthur Molella (Editor), Joyce Bedi (Editor) / Hardcover: 424 pages /
The MIT Press (2003)
Text describes the many ways in which invention affects the
environment; defined broadly to include all forms of interaction
between humans and nature.
The man who discovered the golden cat: the life story of Ed Lowe
by Edward Lowe / ISBN: 0961884800 / This title is out of print. Limited
availability.
Alfred Nobel: A
Biography
Kenne Fant / Hardcover 342 pages / Arcade Publishers; (1993)
The inventor of dynamite and smokeless explosives wasn't consistently ambivalent
about where technical progress was heading.
Frank Lloyd
Wright
by Robert McCarter / Paperback - 368 pages / (October 1999)
Phaidon
Press Inc.
Of all the books that have appeared in the last 10 years on Frank Lloyd Wright and
his architecture, this is the one that will last.
ON THE SCREEN:
Alexander
Graham Bell: Voice of Invention
VHS / 1 Volume Set / 50 Minutes / Bipgraphy Channel / Less than $20.00
Alexander Graham Bell left his mark on the world with the invention of
the telephone. But he might have been a footnote in history if not for
his lawyer, who filed for the patent a mere two hours before his rival
Elisha Gray, who had also unraveled the mysteries of communicating by
wire.
Andrew Carnegie: Prince of Steel
VHS / 1 Volume Set / 50 Minutes / Bipgraphy Channel / Less than $25.00
Andrew Carnegie is the classic American success story. He rose from a
$1.20 a week job for a thread company to the head of a company that sold
for the equivalent of $12.5 billion! Believing that "a rich man who dies
rich dies in disgrace," he worked as hard at giving his wealth away as
he did to earn it.
Henry Ford: Tin Lizzy Tycoon
DVD / 1 Volume Set / 50 Minutes / Bipgraphy Channel / Less than $25.00
/ Also VHS
Henry Ford was one of the great innovators of our time. When the car he
invented became so popular he couldn't build them fast enough, he came
up with the modern assembly plant to meet demand. The rest is history.
The Kellogg Brothers: Corn Flake Kings
DVD / 1 Volume Set / 50 Minutes / Bipgraphy Channel / Less than $25.00
/ Also VHS
One was an eccentric crusader for health. The other was a sober
businessman who turned their humble invention the corn flake into the
cornerstone of one of the most successful companies in the nation. John
Henry Kellogg and his little brother Will Keith played out one of the
most dramatic and bitter family feuds in American history, but for
twenty years before their split they were partners.
Frank
Lloyd Wright - A film by Ken Burns and Lynn Novick (1998)
Video / Rated: NR / VHS NTSC / Color, Closed-captioned, Black & White, Box set ( 2
tapes) / Starring: Edward Herrmann / Director: Ken Burns, Lynn Novick
Frank Lloyd Wright was the greatest of all American architects. He was an authentic
American genius, a man who believed he was destined to redesign the world, creating
everything anew. Over the course of his long career, Wright designed over eight hundred
buildings. Wright's buildings and his ideas changed the way we live, work and see the
world around us.
ON THE WEB:
Philanthropy Roundtable
The Roundtable is founded on the principle that voluntary private
action offers the best means of addressing many of society’s needs,
and that a vibrant private sector is critical to generating the
wealth that makes philanthropy possible.
Alexander Graham Bell Association
for the Deaf
Established in 1890 to empower persons who are hearing impaired to function independently
Andrew
Carnegie Biography
There were only a few public libraries in the world when, in 1881,
Carnegie began to promote his idea. He and the Corporation
subsequently spent over $56 million to build 2,509 libraries
throughout the English-speaking world.
Ford Biography
Henry enjoyed a childhood typical of the rural nineteenth century,
spending days in a one-room school and doing farm chores. At an
early age, he showed an interest in mechanical things and a dislike
for farm work.Henry ford Museum presents a year by year history of
the Ford Motor Company.
Buckminster Fuller Institute
Official Web site for his inventions and his teachings.
DEKA Research and Development Corporation
Founded by Dean Kamen, DEKA Research & Development Corporation to develop
internally generated inventions as well as to provide R&D for major
corporate clients.
W. K. Kellogg
Foundation
In 1934, W.K. Kellogg donated more than $66 million in Kellogg
Company stock and other investments to establish the W.K. Kellogg Foundation.
Jerome H. Lemelson Biography
One of the century's five most prolific inventors, Lemelson received an
average of one patent a month for more than 40 years—all on his own,
without support from established research institutions or corporate
research and development departments.
Edward Lowe Biography
Even among the burgeoning lists of highly successful entrepreneurs, Edward Lowe
occupies a special place. From the official Edward Lowe Foundation Web site.
Alfred Nobel Biography
His family was descended from Olof Rudbeck, the best-known technical genius of Sweden's
17th century era as a great power in northern Europe.
Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation
Information about the Foundation's programs and resources on the legacy of
Architect Frank Lloyd Wright
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This document was compiled by the editors at The Great Idea Finder |
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