Businessman. Born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, he began in 1874, as a parts maker for baby carriages and other hardware specialties. In 1899, he developed the world’s first pressed steel automobile frames and incorporated the A. O. Smith Company in Milwaukee, in 1904. To date, the A. O. Smith Corporation is a global leader applying innovative technology and energy-efficient solutions to products marketed worldwide. (bio by: John “J-Cat” Griffith)